Beyond the Lens, I Hear Her Voice
by JAGWriter09
Summary: Fresh out of college, Santana is all set to spend her summer break studying for Med School but a random encounter with a high school classmate changes everything. Brittana Endgame!
1. Let's Go On A Trip

**Authors Note: After a year of writing, I finally finished my first story! I've been reading fanfiction for a better part of 8 years and finally decided to take a shot at writing. It's been a long journey, but one I've enjoyed very much! The story is complete with 16 chapters. I plan on posting one chapter a week, most likely every Sunday! Hope you guys enjoy. Don't forget to like, favorite, and comment!**

 **Chapter 1: Let's Go On A Trip**

 _ **June 2016 -**_ _ **Santana POV**_

Lima, Ohio.

I've always loved coming back home.

Things are so much simpler around here. You have your local businesses and the one local grocery that everyone goes to, the one library, which I practically lived at my junior year of High School, and you have your neighbors who are practically family. It's just everything that home represents, and I am so happy to be back this summer.

Last week I graduated from NYU with a degree in Biology. NYU was the best college experience I could have asked for. Thanks to my dad, I was able to have a two-bedroom apartment which I shared with Quinn, my best friend from High School. Honestly, I would not have gotten through the past four years if it wasn't for her. Even though a majority of my time was spent studying or putting in hours in the lab for research, I definitely indulged in the New York lifestyle. There is nothing better than a slice of authentic New York Pizza, well, maybe the unlimited breadsticks from Breadstix, but this is New York!

In some ways, I am still the bookworm teenager that never made time for fun. Ever since I can remember, school has been my life. I was McKinley's Class of 2012 Valedictorian and a devoted member of any club that would boost my chances of getting into the best schools. Quinn and I joined Glee Club our freshman year and I fell in love immediately. Singing has always been my biggest passion. It was the one place where I would forget about tests, papers, SAT's and every other pressure that comes with being a high schooler. I was also a part of our schools Model UN, which I also enjoyed a lot. I know. Total nerd.

It's crazy how fast time goes. One minute I am standing in the halls of McKinley with Quinn by my side, two scared 14-year old's not knowing what lies ahead, to now, 22 years old, college graduate and back in Lima. Most people my age would be so excited to celebrate and party the summer away. I mean, graduating college is a big deal and definitely something worthy of celebrating but not me. My summer plans are going to consist of me, myself and I studying for the MCAT in order to apply to Ph.D. programs.

My dad is a well-known Orthopedic Surgeon in Lima and my mom, although is not a working mom, has always been involved with charity work. I have always grown up privileged and never taken anything that was handed to me for granted. My parents never pressured me to follow in my dad's footsteps, but they definitely made sure to guide me into a profession that was, in their minds, worthy. I do love the idea of becoming a doctor and have already chosen a specialty in Cardiothoracic Surgery, but it was never my passion, just a way to live a successful life, and a way to make my parents proud, my parents who have always given me everything I could imagine in life.

I can't control the huge smile that is taking over my face as I pull up on my street. As soon as I turn the corner I can already see my mom waiting for me outside.

"My baby! I am so happy you're here. How was your drive? Did you take enough breaks? Did you get tired? Did you stop to eat?" My mom mouthed off one-question after another. This was just how she was, caring.

"Yes, mom. I stopped, I ate and I was rested. The roads were clear. It was actually a really nice drive! And I am happy to be here too. I miss being around you guys all the time," I say genuinely as she engulfs me into a tight hug. "Is dad home?"

"Yes! He's in the backyard firing up the grill. We wanted to have a nice meal as a family. He is very excited to have you home. He mentioned that he had some news for you! Go wash up and see him," my mom said. I wonder what kind of news my dad would have for me?

"Okay. I can get my bags later. Let's go inside."

As we walk through the front door I can already smell the food being cooked throughout the living room and I immediately start salivating. There is nothing like a home cooked meal, especially one cooked by The Maribel Lopez.

"Mom, everything smells amazing! I hope you haven't been in the kitchen all day just for me," I say even though I can't wait to dive into everything she has prepared.

"Nonsense! You know I love to cook especially when it's for you. The last four years have just been me and your dad so please let me spoil you a little bit. Plus let's be honest, your father loves my cooking and we all know he is a much happier man with a full belly," she giggles. I nod, knowing all too well that my dad loves food.

"Santana!" I hear my dad shout as I walk through the back-yard door. I don't even try to resist the urge to run right into his waiting arms. I've always been a daddy's girl. I remember growing up wanting to do everything with him. Things like mowing the lawn or waking up early on Saturday mornings to go to the local flower shop to pick the freshest flowers to bring to my mom. I can even clearly recall the day that I came out to my parents. I never feared how my mom would react but for some reason, I was afraid I would disappoint my dad. But the second the words 'I'm gay' came out of my mouth my dad quickly wrapped me up in his safe and warm arms and whispered, _"No matter who you love, you will always be my baby girl. I will always be your biggest supporter and don't ever let anyone ever make you feel any less than the special person you are. I love you, Santana."_

"How was your drive? You made good time! And I picked the best piece of steak just for you, baby," he tells me with a proud smile.

"Thanks, dad! I can't wait to eat. You know you're my favorite grill master," I wink at him.

"Well, food is ready! Let's eat!" My dad says grabbing the plate of perfectly grilled steak and walking over to the table in the backyard. "So, baby, what's your game plan for this summer? Have to make sure you stay on top of it for med-school apps."

"Yes, I know dad." I sigh. "I'll be studying for the MCAT all summer. Don't worry."

"I have some good news actually!" My dad says with a huge smile on his face. "I was able to get you an internship at the hospital. This will be great for your resume and your schedule will still allow you to have time for studying."

"Oh, wow dad. Th-That's, um, that's awesome," I say, trying to sound convinced. It's not that I don't appreciate him helping me, but I want to do this for myself. Plus, it would be really nice to have somewhat of a summer break. I can't remember the last time I just chilled. The summer before high school? I don't know but I want it so bad. "When does the internship start? I was kind of hoping to, you know, be able to relax a little aside from all the hours of studying I'll be doing…" I whisper out the last part with my head hanging down, trying to avoid eye contact with my parents.

"Relax? Sweetheart, this is the time to work the hardest. You have to put in the work now to enjoy the rewards later." My dad's voice sounds a little shocked at what I was suggesting. I look over at my mom who has a sympathetic look on her face.

I start to get frustrated and decide to end this conversation for now. "Okay. Yeah, you're right. Um, well dinner was delicious, but I just really want to take a shower and start unpacking. It's been a long day," I say and excuse myself from the table.

/

"SANTANA! SANTANAAAA!"

I am peacefully asleep when I hear my name being yelled at from downstairs. "Ughhh," I grunt as I bury my head under my pillow and pull the covers up to hide my face. Maybe she'll stop if I ignore her. I peak a glance at the time and am not happy to see 8:30 am.

 _Knock. Knock. Knock._

"Santana? Are you awake? Wake up, sweetheart. I am going to the grocery store in a bit and wanted to see if you wanted to come with me," she says gently as she takes a seat on the corner of my bed, successfully waking me up against my will as she rubs my back.

"Sure. Can I go back to sleep now? Pleaseeeee," I ask my mom with a little annoyance in my voice.

"Sure baby. There are coffee and bagels in the kitchen for when you wake up," she tells me as she leans over to kiss me on my forehead.

A couple more hours of sleep, a nice shower and a cup of coffee later I am in the car with my mom to the grocery store. Going grocery shopping with my mom can be a whole day thing. The woman loves to cook, and she is very particular with her ingredients. What feels like 10 hours later, we are finally in line to check out and I get side track by those gossip magazines when I think I hear my name.

"Santana?" I look up to see where it's coming from. "Oh my god. It is you!" The sales clerk says to me. I recognize her right away from high school.

"Wo-wow Sugar. Uh, hi! How are you?" I asked shocked that she even knows my name. I wasn't an outcast in high school, but Sugar was part of the 'popular' group. Her best friends were Puck and Brittany and it seemed everyone knew who they were. I wonder if they're all still close?

"I'm good! Back in Lima. Just graduated from UCLA with a degree in art. Just been working here to help out my dad run the shop," she informs me. Art major, that's pretty cool. Sometimes I wish I could go to school for music but that would never work. I shake away that ridiculous thought. "What have you been up to since high school?"

"Oh, that's cool. Um, well, I graduated from NYU and start taking entrance exams for med school," I say slightly embarrassed at how nerdy that sounds.

"Oh damn! I mean, I'm not that shocked. You _were_ our valedictorian and always had the highest grades in all your classes. Just doesn't sound very fun to me," she shrugs. "Actually, Puck, Brittany and I are leaving in a couple days on this month-long tour of Europe! I can't wait!" She says as she hands me the flyer. "You can keep that I have extras at home!"

"Thanks. Well, uh looks like we're done here. It was nice to see you Sugar. Have a good time in Europe. I'll see you around," I say.

Back at home, I can't help but think back to what Sugar was talking about. So, she is still close with Brittany and Puck. Sometimes it makes me sad that I didn't make more friends in high school or experience things normal teenagers do. I never really went to parties, never really drank and definitely didn't date. Sure, I had crushes, but they were never a realistic possibility. Speaking of crushes, Brittany S. Pierce. I definitely had a huge crush on her for most of high school. She's the reason I realized I was into girls. First, I thought she was just cool and wanted to be friends with her but then I realized my thoughts would turn to how it might feel to hold her hand or kiss her, and yup, that's how I knew. I mean, who wouldn't! You would have to be blind to not see how hot she was. But it was more than that. I had math class with her senior year and she just exudes coolness. She was friends with everyone and just always looked like she was enjoying life. I would always hear her talking about her future and how she is going to travel the world. I envied her.

A knock on my door shakes me from my thoughts. "Come in!"

"Hey, just wanted to let you know your dad and I are going to go out for a bit. Call if you need anything!" My mom tells me.

"Okay. See you guys later," I shout as I hear her my door shut behind my mom.

The flyer that Sugar gave me earlier that day keeps taunting me, so I decide to pull out my laptop and see what this is all about.

"Wow," I breathe out, my eyes wide the more I read. Venice, Munich, Swiss Alps! All in one trip. This is insane. _What I would do to go on a trip like this,_ I think to myself as I continue to scroll through the photos on the website. _Well… I maybe COULD do this. I mean, it's only for a month. That isn't that big of a deal. I can study on my downtime while I'm there and if I don't do this now, then when? Probably never! I mean, med-school then residencies then a full-time surgeon._

I close my laptop and jump on my bed, face down in the pillows as I release a frustrated groan. I turn over on my back and just stare at the ceiling. This is so not like me! I would never think to do something so spontaneous. "QUINN!" I yell to no one as I practically fall off my bed trying to grab my phone to call my best friend.

 _Ring Ring_

"Well hello there, stranger! Miss your favorite roomie already?" I can just imagine her smirk as she answers the phone.

I roll my eyes but have a smile on my face. Of course, I miss her, but I would never admit that to her. "In your dreams, Fabray. But, um, I kinda need your help with something."

"Oh, okay yeah sure what's up?"

"So, remember Sugar from high school? Kind of weird girl, loud, hung around Brittany and Puck all the time?" I ask.

"Yeah, of course, I remember Sugar," she asks sounding more intrigued.

"Okay, so I ran into her the other day at the grocery store that her dad owns. Anyways, that's not important. She sort of mentioned this trip that they are going on, like a backpacking trip through Europe, and she gave me the flyer and like, now I'm thinking about going. But that's insane, right? Like I can't just drop everything and go that would be stupid and so irresponsible and so not like me and-"

"SANTANA! Back-up," she cuts off my rant. "Since when do you want to do anything like this anyways?"

"Since I realized that I am 22 and done nothing but school! That can't be my life, Quinn. It just can't. If I don't do this now, then when? Never!" I start to yell.

"Okay breathe. Honestly? I think it's a great idea," she says, and I can't believe what I am hearing.

"You do?" I whisper.

"Absolutely. Shit Santana, you are way too uptight! You need something like this. I am in full support and totally jealous, by the way," she tells me.

"Ye-yeah. Yeah! You're right! I'm going. I'm doing this!" I say with growing confidence. "Fuck, I need to pack, I need to tell my parents, I need to buy my tickets. Do you think there are tickets left? What do I pack? Do I really need a 'backpack' to backpack through Europe? What do I-"

"SANTANA! You're doing it again. Breathe. Pack comfy clothes for sightseeing and some nice outfits for going out at night. Plus, never know who you might meet. Don't over pack you'll probably be washing clothes while you are there. Go have fun, let loose Santana. And bring me something cool!" I can hear the smirk in her voice again.

"Yeah yeah. Thanks, Quinn. I'll make sure to bring you the best keychain I can find," I laugh out. "Bye."

Fuck. I am really doing this! Okay, um so first step ticket, and then pack, then tell my parents.

Shit. They are so going to freak out on me.

Somewhere between me buying tickets and packing, I hear my parents walk in the house. All of a sudden, I'm nervous and regretting my decision of going. They are totally going to flip but I already bought my tickets and I'm an adult! They can't tell me what to do. Well, they kind of can. And my dad got me that internship at the hospital. What is he going to say?

I go downstairs to see if my mom needs any help with dinner. "Hey, mom. Need any help?"

"No. I'm okay. I've had the roast in the slow cooker all day anyway, so dinner should be ready soon. Just going to make some sides and we can eat. What have you been up to while we were gone?" She asks as she starts to chop some onions for a salad.

"Oh, um, not much. I researched some books that might help me while I study and talked to Quinn for a bit to see how she is doing. Yeah. That's all!" I say, trying to not sound distracted with the trip I've already paid for.

"That's good. She should come over for dinner soon. I miss that best friend of yours," she laughs. Quinn was treated like a second daughter in my household and was always around when we were growing up. "Go wash up and get your father for me. Dinner will be ready in 10 minutes," she asks.

Sitting at the dinner table has never been so uncomfortable for me. I am usually very chatty, but I can't seem to get myself to look up from my plate as I play around with the food on it. I keep thinking of how I can bring up the fact that I leave for Europe for the next month in two days. My head shoots up when I hear my dad clear his throat.

"Santana. Is everything okay? You seem very quiet," he asks concerned.

"Yeah, dad I'm good. Everything is good. Just really enjoying moms' food," I tell him with a forced smile, trying to sound as convincing as I can.

"Okay. So, I hope you have some free time tomorrow morning because you need to stop by the hospital to complete some paperwork for the internship. How does 10 sound?" He asks as he raises his fork to his mouth.

"Uh, su-sure dad that should work for me," I lie. I can't go tomorrow! I need to tell him that I won't be doing this internship but how. I'm so dead. I should've been more of a rebel when I was younger. Oh, who are you kidding Lopez, aka Miss Goody Two Shoes. "Actually. Mom, Dad. Um, so I don't think I want to do the internship anymore," I say hesitantly as my voice cracks. I haven't even made eye contact with my dad and I can already tell that this is not going to be good.

"That's funny, Santana." My dad mutters through a laugh. I hear my mom giggle too and they both go back to eating. "So 10 tomorrow."

"No, dad. I'm actually serious. I've been doing some thinking and I think I want to travel for a little bit before I settle down with school and a career," I tell them with hope. "There is this trip that is a 30-day tour through Europe and it looks absolutely amazing!"

"What are you talking about? Europe? That wasn't the plan, Santana. You can't just drop everything and go. You are not a child anymore. This is your life and your future we are talking about," he says with a hint of anger in his voice. It's rare to see him yell and I'm hoping this doesn't turn into one of those rare moments.

"Santana, honey, where is this coming from?" I can tell from my mom's voice that she is trying to ease the situation, so my dad doesn't lose it at the dinner table. "It just doesn't sound like you. Is this about a girl? Are you dating someone, and you didn't tell us?" I can hear the excitement when she brings up a potential girlfriend. I've only really been in one relationship, but none that I've introduced to my parents.

"No mom. This isn't about a girl or anything like that. Remember when we ran into Sugar at the grocery store the other day? Well, she mentioned that she and some friends were going on this backpacking trip through Europe and it just got me thinking. I want to be able to see the world and enjoy myself when I still can. I'm young and I just don't want to grow up one day and regret my life, my youth," my shoulders slump as I tell my mom my fears.

I feel her hand on my back. "I understand fully and support your decision. When do you leave? Have you packed? Do you need-"

My mom is suddenly interrupted by a loud bang. "What are you talking about Maribel!" He shouts as he slams his hands on the table. "WE do not support her decision!" He yells, shooting my mom a glare and then turns to me. "I do not support your decision. Do you know what I had to do to get you that internship this summer, the strings I had to pull to even get you into that program? Do you know how far back you will fall if you do not study for your entrance exams? This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!" That is the last thing he says as he storms out of the kitchen.

I sigh and hang my head in defeat. I knew this wasn't going to go well.

"It's okay baby. I will make him understand. I do support you. When do you leave, honey?" She asks softly.

"In two days. I think I have most of my clothes packed but wanted to run to the store to get some last-minute stuff." I look at my mom. "Do you want to maybe come with me?" I ask.

"I would love to. Go to your room to get some stuff packed. I'll be up in a minute," she says as she gets up and wraps her arms around me. "I love you, Santana and I know you are going to have a wonderful time." She leaves a kiss on my forehead as she goes to find my dad.

About an hour goes by and I've been busy researching all the different places we are going to visit, my excitement growing by the minute! A hear a strong knock on my door, a knock only strong enough to be my dad.

"Come in," I say strongly.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" He says with less force than he was using during dinner.

I nod. He comes over and sits on the edge of my bed as he taps the space next to me, wanting me to come closer. I hesitate but end up moving next to him, keeping some distance.

"You know, ever since you were little I knew you were going to do great things," he sighs and looks at me. "Deep down I always hoped that you would have this passion for medicine like I did but I never wanted to pressure you into something that you couldn't put your whole heart into. Over the years, I have seen you work your butt off in everything you did, and I am so proud of who you have become. I really am sorry for how I reacted earlier. I just want you to understand where I was coming from. All of a sudden, it just seemed like you were throwing all that hard work away to just run off without a plan. But your mother, God bless that woman and her brains, made me realize that you're an adult and we can't hold you back from making your own decisions. If this is what you want to do, then you should do it," he says. I look up to see a small tear falling from his eye.

I can't help but launch myself into his arms like I did so many times when I was younger. "Thanks, Dad. I really think this will be good for me! It's a new experience for me and it's only for a month. I'm not running away from my future or anything like that. I still plan on coming back and passing my entrance exams. I just want to be able to have different experiences before real life kicks in, you know?" I tell him, his arms still wrapped around me.

He nods in understanding. "I love you, baby girl." He gives me a kiss on my cheek and gets up to leave. "You really are going to have a great time."

/

Words can't describe how excited I am for this! I'm currently sitting at the airport bar closest to my gate, waiting for my plane to board. I still have about an hour to kill so I decided to get something to eat while enjoying a nice cold beer. My mom was able to help me pack everything I might need for the trip and my dad even bought me a travel neck pillow, his way of saying sorry, again. The bartender comes over and asks if I would like another beer. I nod and look to my left and see someone a couple seats away staring at me. I recognize him immediately. Noah Puckerman. He has not changed one bit since high school. He still has that mohawk that made all the girls in our school go crazy and is still wearing the leather jacket that he wore practically every day. I notice I have been staring too as he gets up and starts walking towards me.

"Hey. Sorry, I don't mean to be a creeper or anything, but you look so familiar. I was trying to figure out where I know you from. Maybe we met at a party?" He rambles.

I just nod unable to find my words. Noah, or Puck as most called him around school, was definitely popular.

"Um okay. How do we know each other? I'm a little disappointed in myself for not remembering meeting such a beautiful girl," he says with a flirtatious smirk. Is he flirting with me? "Hello? You okay? Do you speak?"

"Yes. I speak," I snap at him as I cross my arms over my chest. "I went to McKinley. We had geography together junior year with Ms. Marks. My name is Santana. Santana Lopez," I say with a softer tone.

"Oh, Santana! Wait. You were the really smart chick that I tried to cheat off most…" He stops himself with wide eyes as he realizes what he was about the confess.

I can't help but laugh. "It's okay. You think I didn't know what you were doing? You weren't very subtle with the cheating." I see him calm down a little and takes the seat next to me, signaling to the bartender for a refill of his drink. "So, you're going on that trip with Sugar, right?"

"How do you know about that?" He asks and takes a sip of his drink.

"Actually, I'm on my way there too! I ran into her the other day and she mentioned going with you and your other friend Brittany," I mention, trying to hide my blushing face with the mention of the blonde, which is stupid because I haven't seen her in 4 years and not to mention never had a full conversation with her, ever. One time in class she asked me if she can borrow a pen and I nodded like a dumbass and handed her the pen from my hand. I remember her giggling as she thanked me and turned back to her work. I suddenly realize that Puck has been talking to me and I didn't hear a word he said thanks to the trip down memory lane. "Sorry, what did you just say?"

He laughed. "I asked you if you knew anyone else going on the trip?"

"No, just Sugar, kind of," I tell him shyly.

"No problem. Stick with me and you'll have an unforgettable trip," he winks at me as he puts his arm around my shoulder pulling me closer to him.

"Uh, Noah? Not to make this awkward or anything but um are you flirting with me?"

He immediately lets me go and looks at me in shock. "Uh, n-no uh why, ha why would you think that? And please, call me Puck. Noah just sounds like I'm in trouble."

"Okay, Puck. No reason." I smirk at him, finally getting my confidence back. "… I'm gay by the way."

"No way! Sweet, like my girl Brittany! I'm totally cool with that by the way. I love me some lady loving besties." He tells me as he lifts his drink as a cheer. My cheeks immediately become heated at the mention of Brittany's sexual orientation. I mean, it was never a secret in high school. Unlike me, she was very open about who she was. Another thing I found so attractive about her, her confidence.

Talking to Puck makes the time fly by and next thing you know we are being called to board the plane. While we were at the bar we realized that we are in the same row, which is awesome because it'll be nice to have someone to talk to during the next 10 hours. I put my bag under my seat and sit back as I see Puck coming up to our row. He is talking to someone and next thing I know he is in the seat directly next to me.

"What's up flying partner!" He shouts as he situates himself. "I was able to switch with the lady that was originally going to sit here. Hope that's okay, Lopez. You're stuck with me!"

I love how comfortable I am around Puck. It's funny how after high school popularity means nothing.

"I don't mind. Can I tell you something?" I ask him as I turn to face him as I fold my legs under me. "I kind of hate flying. The furthest I've been is to New York and I was a mess the entire flight."

"It's cool. The Puckster is here to make sure you're safe. Also, alcohol helps," he laughs and so do I.

We've been in the air for about two hours now and my nerves have eased down a lot. Puck has his headphones in and is watching a movie as I look through some of the entrance exam books my dad had bought me.

"What are you reading?" He asks as he pulls his headphones out of his ears.

"It's a study guide for the MCAT. I am working on going to med school, so I have to study this summer to take the entrance exams."

"Sounds boring as shit. Don't tell me you are going to be studying while were there? Because, I don't know if anyone told you this Lopez, but that is not what you do on vacation," he says in a serious tone.

"Yeah, I know that! I'm not going to study there. I just figured I can read a little since we have some down time and I don't know if YOU know this Puckerman, but we're kind of in the air right now with nothing to see," I tease him trying to hide the fact that I definitely planned on studying while I was in Europe. Yeah. I know. Nerd.

"Well how about we get to know each other a little better then, since we're going to be with each other for the next month," he says as he grabs my book out of my hands.

The next few hours go by quickly as Puck and I shoot questions back and forth to get to know each other and exchange stories from college. He had plenty which was fun to hear about. There is about an hour left of the flight and my excitement is growing by the minute to start this trip.

"Hey so, when we get there want to grab a drink? Sugar and Brittany are already there and I'm sure they'll want to go out," he asks.

"Isn't it going to be late?" I ask shocked.

"Are you serious? It'll be like a little after 1 am when we land. That's not late. And we're in Rome! The night life doesn't stop."

I smile at the thought of the streets lit up and people walking around with no worries. "Okay."

The landing is smooth, and Puck and I are in a cab on our way to our hotel which we will be staying at for the next few days while in Rome. We arrive and check in easily since everything is taken care of for us through the program. I tell Puck that I'm going to go up to my room to freshen up and change and that we can meet back downstairs in 30 minutes.

First thing I do as I enter my room is strip all my clothes and jump in the shower. It feels amazing to wash the flight off my body. After my shower, I quickly call my mom to let her know that I arrived safe and sound. Then I call Quinn.

"Santana! Did you just land? How is it? What are you doing? What time is it there?" She fires one question after another.

"Hey! I actually just got out of the shower, we landed not too long ago. We're 5 hours ahead of you guys so it's a little after 1 am," I tell her. "I don't have a lot of time to talk, I'm meeting Puck, Sugar, and Brittany downstairs soon to grab some drinks."

"Oh yeah?" She giggles. "You excited to see Brittany? Still have a huge crush on her? Oh my god, remember that time we were changing in the locker room and she came running inside and ripped her shirt off and you stood there with drool running down your face? That was the best. You got mad game, San," I hear the teasing tone on the other end of the line.

"Shut up Quinn! I was NOT drooling, and she had a nice body, can't blame me for checking her out. Even your straight ass can admit her body is perfect," I shrug. "And anyways, that was like a million years ago. A high school crush. It was nothing," I say, not sure if I'm trying to convince myself or Quinn. "But, I need to get ready so just wanted to call and say hi!"

"Bye S! Have fun with Brittany," She sings the last part out, again teasing me.

I sigh and roll my eyes. "Bye Fabray."

I'm in the gift shop in the lobby, trying to pass time as I wait for the rest to come down. I see a keychain that says Rome in big letters. It's the most obnoxious one I can find and immediately decide to buy it for Quinn. I know she'll have a good laugh. I check out and walk back towards the elevators when the door opens and out comes Puck and Sugar.

"Hey, Lopez! Ready to get this night started?" Puck says excitedly.

"Yeah! Hey, Sugar."

"Hi, Santana," she says as she hugs me, taking me off guard. "I'm glad I gave you the flyer that day at the grocery store. Didn't think you'd actually come. This is going to be so much fun!"

We start walking towards the front entrance when I realize that Brittany is not with them. "Uh, where's Brittany?" I wonder, trying my best to not sound too interested.

"Oh, she left 10 minutes ago to get some footage," Sugar says as we continue down the streets of Rome.

"Footage?" I ask curiously.

"Yeah. Brittany was a film major at USC. She always has a camera attached to her hand ready. I think she is applying to a few schools for a Master's Degree so she wanted to put a film together of this trip to add to her portfolio as if she needs anymore. She's a genius when it comes to film," Sugar tells me.

I want to keep asking questions, so I can get to know Brittany but decide against it. I 'm bummed that she didn't come out tonight, but I shake it off, remembering it's only our first night, after all.

"That sounds awesome! So, do we know where we're going?" I ask, seeing as we are aimlessly walking.

"Not really. I figured we would just walk around until we see somewhere cool to check out," Puck says.

After another 10 minutes of walking, we find a little café that has live music playing in the garden seating. We get a table and order a cocktail and a cheese plate to share. The music is a light Jazz and sets the perfect mood for us. We each got another drink and decide to head back and get some sleep since we have a long day ahead of us.

The three of us are standing in the elevator, a comfortable silence surrounding us, when suddenly it dings indicating that we are stopping on a level 2 below the one we are trying to get to. The door opens and standing there is Brittany looking even more beautiful than I remember. She has one jeans and a white v-neck, the cut just low enough to expose the soft pale skin of her chest, her hair pulled up in a messy buy. I quickly look down and stand there awkwardly.

"Hey, Britt! How was your night? Get anything good?" Sugar asks as Brittany enters the elevator.

"It was good! Got some good footage but excited to get more during the day." She tells her and starts turning towards me. "Hey. Brittany," she says as she extends her hand out to me.

"Dude, you remember the super smart chick from school?" Puck asks Brittany as he taps her shoulder.

Brittany nods still not taking her eyes off mine and hand still extended.

"That's her! Santana."

"No way!" All of a sudden Brittany's arms are around me as she hugs me tightly. My hands stay down on my sides since I was not prepared for that kind of greeting. "Four McKinley graduates embarking on this trip. This just got even better!" She says as she lets me go. I continue to get lost in her perfectly shaded blue orbs, only able to nod.

The giggle coming from Puck snaps me out of my trance, as I send a glare his way. "Well this is us," he says as Sugar and Puck exit the elevator. "See you guys in the morning."

The elevator shuts, and I start to panic when I realize that it's just me and Brittany left in the elevator, for another 3 floors. Fucking wonderful.

"So, Santana," she says breaking the silence. "Ever been to Europe?"

"Uh, n-no actually. First time," I mumble like an idiot. Jesus Lopez. Pull yourself together.

"Well, you are going to fall in love!" She beams. "We're on the same floor?"

I look at her but try to avoid eye contact and nod as we get off the elevator.

"Sweet! I'll see you tomorrow! Sleep well," she says as walks down the hall towards her room with a wave.

I wave back as words fail me yet again and see her disappear further down the hall and into her room. I put the key into my door and close it as I slam my head against the door once it is shut and I am alone. "What the hell Santana! That was so not smooth! Sure, you can give speeches in front of hundreds of people for Model UN but talk to a pretty girl? Impossible." I fall face first into the pillows on the perfectly made bed and grunt. Tomorrow is a new day.


	2. When In Rome

**Chapter 2: When In Rome**

Day 1 and I wake up rested and beyond excited to start this trip. I have the travel agenda with me and really looking forward to what's in store for us. Our day begins with a complimentary breakfast provided by the hotel, followed by a private tour of the Colosseum and ending with a pasta making course. I take a quick shower and get dressed in some jean shorts, a white v-neck and finish my classic 'tourist' look with a pair of Nike's as I double check that I've grabbed everything I'll need and head downstairs for a much-needed meal.

As I enter the dining area, I see Brittany and Sugar at a table and decide to grab some food and coffee and join them.

"Morning! Excited for today?" Brittany immediately greets me as I sit down.

"Yes, very! The cooking class sounds amazing. I've always wanted to learn how to make pasta from scratch and what better place to learn than here!" I tell her enthusiastically.

"Oh, you're going to love it. I've done a class before when I was in Italy a couple years back and honestly it was one of the coolest experiences. Plus, the main chef teaching the class usually prepares some appetizers throughout the session and someone is always filling up your glass with wine." I see her eyes brighten up as she tells me more about the structure of the class which gets me even more excited.

"Where's Puck?" I ask when I realize he isn't down here with the rest of us.

"Puck isn't really a morning person. Knowing him he will be running to the bus at the last minute," Sugar mentions with a chuckle. Brittany nods in agreement as she takes a sip of her coffee.

We finish our breakfast and head to the bus that will be taking us to the Colosseum. I'm the first to walk on, immediately taking the aisle seat in the front row. I see Brittany come on next and she looks at me, a frown on her face. "What are you doing at the front of the bus?"

"Oh, um I don't know? First seat I saw, so I took it," I say not really having a reason.

"Well you look like a student who was punished and forced to sit in the front," she laughs. "Get up. We're going to the back."

I get up and follow her. "Scoot in so you can have the window seat. This is your first time here so you need to take it all in."

I do as she says as she takes the aisle seat next to me, Sugar and Puck directly behind us.

I'm looking out the window as we drive through Rome and it is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I start thinking of all the places that are left to see in the world outside of Lima, Ohio and the decision to come on this trip just gets better and better in my mind. A tap on my leg shakes me from my thoughts and I turn to see Brittany smiling at me.

"Liking what you see?" She asks as she points to the window.

"Definitely. I was actually just thinking how happy I am I ran into Sugar that day at the grocery store," I tell her with pure honesty. "Just makes the saying 'Everything happens for a reason' feel so real."

I hear her hum in agreement. It's silent for a few minutes before she speaks up again. "So, Miss Valedictorian, what's your story? What did you do after high school?"

I roll my eyes at her playfully at the nickname. "I went to NYU and studied Biology. I'm actually studying to go to Med School right now," I tell her.

"Wow. Impressive! So, medicine is your passion?" She asks and the question takes me off guard.

"Uh, ye-yeah. Yes. I've always loved being in a hospital setting and watching doctors work hard to save their patients. My dad is a doctor too so I grew up around the hospital," I say. "What about you? Sugar mentioned film school," I ask, taking the attention off of me.

"Film is my life. I went to USC and working on getting into a Master's program. I dabbled in a little bit of everything, editing, producing, writing, but my goal is to direct. I did some small projects for school which were cool but I work on side projects all the time to include in my portfolio," she tells me and I see her eyes sparkle. You can see the love of film pouring out of her. "Did you like New York?"

"I loved it! My friend Quinn came with me and I don't think I could've done it without her."

"Quinn Fabray? You guys were always together. Me and Puck had a bet going that you guys were dating in high school."

Wait. What? That's gross! "No way!" Brittany just laughs and we continue to talk about my time in New York, Brittany smiling and listening to me talk.

We must talk the entire time because the next thing I know we arrive at the Colosseum. We exit the bus and are immediately approached by our tour guide. We start the tour and I am listening to every word the guide is saying, learning about the history and importance of the Colosseum when I am suddenly pulled from the group. I look up and see Brittany dragging me away.

"Brittany, what are you doing?" I try whispering so I don't interrupt the guides and yank my hand out of hers.

"Shhhhhh," She says as she puts her finger up to her lips with a mischievous grin. "Just trust me," she says as she leads us to the top levels, away from the rest of the groups. The view looking down is incredible and I look over to Brittany, who is smiling, camera in hand.

"Who needs a tour guide, right?" She says through a giggle.

I laugh. "Are we allowed to be up this high?" I ask, not wanting to get in trouble. She must notice the fear in my voice and immediately puts a hand on my shoulder as reassurance.

"Don't worry. We're fine. I figured I can get better footage from up here," she shrugs as she lifts her camera up and starts recording the surrounding area.

"Well, what if I wanted to listen to the tour guide?" I turn to her with a raised eyebrow.

"Pshh, please. I can tell you everything you need to know about this place better than they can. And plus, I'm more fun. Do you really want to spend the next couple hours listening to a monotone voice saying 'And to your left, you'll see the blah blah blah'," she mocks with her impression of a drone tour guide. I can't help but laugh at her goofy side but decide to give her a hard time.

"Maybe I like that boring stuff. Who's going to tell me about the history of this place?" I smirk at her.

She stretches her hand towards me for a handshake and says in a professional tone, "Hi, I'm Brittany Pierce and I will be your tour guide this afternoon." I can't help but smile back at her. Who is this girl? "Ma'am, are you okay?" She continues, staying in character.

"Oh. Yeah. Nice to meet you, Brittany. I look forward to this tour with you," I shake her hand playing along with her game.

"Did you know there are 80 entrances?" I shake my head. "There were 36 trap doors for special effects. Can you imagine what it used to be like here during that time?"

"Why do you know that?" I ask her as we continue to walk the upper level.

"I've been here a couple times. The first time I was so excited that I practically memorized every fact I could find," she tells me as we find a secluded area to sit.

"How old were you?" I turn to her.

"Fourteen. We had a family trip the summer before freshman year."

I look at her and see a sadness in her eyes. It's the first time I've seen this side of her. In high school, she was always so bubbly and bouncing around, talking to friends. I notice she becomes quiet and distant as if she is lost in thought. I want to ask her what she is thinking about but before I get the chance she starts talking again.

"Do you still sing?" She asks randomly which makes my head jerk towards her.

"Excuse me?" I furrow my brows and cross my arms over my chest.

She chuckles. "Sing. Do you still sing?" She asks again.

"Um, not really. How do you even know that I do?" I ask her not knowing where this is coming from.

"I've heard you before. You were in Glee, right?" My face drops. She's heard me sing? She knew I was in Glee? Wait, she actually noticed me in high school? I have so many questions but I can't seem to get my mouth to catch up to my brain and end up sitting there in silence staring at her. I probably look like I'm crazy. I feel her hand on my thigh and hear her voice. "You good? Did I say something wrong?" She looks at me worriedly.

I shake my head quickly and start laughing. "No. No, you didn't say anything wrong. I _was_ in Glee. Did you hear me like practicing or something at school one day?"

"Kind of, I heard you guys practicing in the auditorium. You're really good."

I can't believe what I'm hearing! Here I was thinking that she didn't even know who I was.

"Uh. Thank you," I force a smile since I am still in shock. "I sing mostly for myself now. I mean I can't really do anything else. There isn't like Glee clubs for adults, is there?"

She laughs, "No that would be awesome though! But I was thinking more like recording an album or something. Trust me when I say you are really good. Like the best I've ever heard," she says with a nudge. "I would totally buy your album," she winks.

I immediately feel my face burn up as a blush starts to creep on my cheeks at the compliment. "Shut up," I stutter out as I try to hit her arm playfully but before I can make contact she grabs my wrist and looks into my eyes.

"I'm serious. You're really talented and I saw a spark in your eyes when you were on stage. It's like you were born to be on that stage," she says as she continues to stare into my eyes making me slightly uncomfortable but I can't get myself to look away. "Oh my god! We need to find a café that does like an open mic or something! That would be awesome!" She tells me excitedly, breaking the intense staring contest we were having a second ago.

"Uh yeah sure, Britt," I say, not realizing the way I subconsciously shorten her name.

I turn to look at her and see her looking at me with a smirk. "Britt, huh?"

"Well, we're friends, right?" I ask.

"Of course, we are," she says with a huge smile on her face. "San," she winks at me. "Ready to move on to the next part of our tour, ma'am?" She asks as she slips back into character. I can't help but laugh, willingly letting her take my hand in hers as she leads us to another part of the Colosseum.

The rest of the tour goes the same way, Brittany moving in and out of her tour guide character and getting footage from different angles. The two hours fly by, especially since Brittany decides to have us ditch the official tour and explore by ourselves, which is something that is so out of character for me. But I don't regret any of it because seeing a place through her eyes and her past experiences made this the best time and the complete opposite of what I was expecting. We are on our way to a small restaurant on the outskirts of Rome to have a private cooking lesson and I can't wait to get there since this is what I've been looking forward to all day.

"Welcome! My name is Stefani and this is my assistant Francesca. Hope you guys came hungry! Today you guys will be learning how to make fresh pasta and along the way, someone will be coming around to hand out some appetizers and will be making sure your wine glasses are always full!" The main chef tells us with a warm smile. They are both very young and you just know this is going to be a great experience. As they continue to tell us about their background and how they became chefs, a waitress comes around handing us a glass of white wine.

"So, as you can see, we have 10 stations set up around the main station where we will be working. If you guys can all pair up and head to a station, we'll get started!"

I've been standing between Brittany and Sugar the entire time and before I even have a chance to pick a partner, Brittany is already at a station and waving for me to join her. This makes me happy because I've already had an amazing time just spending the day with her and getting to know her better and now she's picking me as a partner! Best. Day. Ever. Each station has a chef jacket waiting for us and everything we'll need for the pasta.

"Do I look like a real chef?" I look up to Brittany twirling around in her chef jacket and the chef hat that they have as an option as well. She looks so damn cute in that hat.

"Definitely," I tell her as I take my camera out and take a picture of her so she can see her complete outfit.

"I love it! I totally have to get one of these for when I cook at home," she says through a smile.

We get instructions on how to make the dough and how to put it through the pasta machine in order to make our desired style of pasta.

"Want to roll the dough out first?" She asks me. I nod and stand with the roller in my hand. I start to roll the dough and see that it's a lot harder than it looks and also realize that our dough doesn't look anywhere near as soft as the chefs.

I start to get a little frustrated, being the perfectionist I am and sigh as I put the roller down and look to Brittany, hoping she'll just hop in and take over for me.

"I'm not doing it right," I sigh.

"San. You're doing fine. The dough looks great! We just have to get it flat enough so we can cut it into spaghetti." I slump my shoulders down, still not happy with the outcome so far when I feel Brittany shift behind me and wrap her arms around my body and grab my hands that are still resting on either side of the roller.

"Breathe, Santana. We're just making pasta, not performing open heart surgery," she giggles and I feel her hot breath tickle my ear as my body starts to relax with her touch, letting her completely take control of our movement.

"See? All good," she whispers softly, her hands still covering mine. "Should we move on to the next step?" Having her this close to me and feeling her front pressed against my back makes my mind go blank. It's like she is invading all my senses and all I can think about is Brittany when I should be focusing on cooking.

"Uh-huh," I barely get out, wanting so badly to speak like a normal human being who isn't slightly freaking out about our current position but also loving it deep down, not wanting it to end. And just like that, I feel cold as she moves away from me and comes back to my side to work on something else.

"Okay. So, what type of sauce do you want to make? The one Stefani was making with the white wine smelled so good! Should we do that?" I take a deep breath and turn to her, relieved that she doesn't notice my odd behavior or the blush on my cheeks or the slight frown that's on my face after she moved away from me.

"Yeah, it did smell amazing. Let's do it," I tell her with a smile on my face. All I have to do is focus on the sauce. That can't be that hard. I turn to Brittany to ask her what ingredients we'll need to make the sauce when I notice she has some flour on the tip of her nose. She looks so freaking cute. My hand moves toward her face without my control, her eyes glued to mine, head tilted in confusion. Ugh, so cute. "You have some flour on your nose, Britt," I tell her as I gently swipe my thumb against her face, my other hand softly cupping her chin to keep her head from moving.

"Oh, thanks."

"No problem." I notice I'm still holding her face and quickly take my hand away and turn towards our station pretending to work on something, anything while trying to hide the blush that is quickly taking over my face.

Thankfully, the rest of the cooking goes smoothly, well mostly. I spent half the time glancing up at Brittany, who at one point was so focused, her tongue poked out of her mouth slightly as she put all her concentration in measuring out different items to add to our sauce.

"Think it's ready to taste!" Her voice pulls me out of my daze of all things Brittany. "Ready to take the first bite?" She asks me while holding a perfectly twirled pasta on the fork in front of my face.

I lean in and take a bite and can't help the moan that escapes my throat. "Oh my god, Britt! That is delicious!"

I watch her take her first bite. "Oh wow. I should change my profession! I'm an awesome cook!"

"Hey! I did half of the work too!"

"Okay. You can be my sous-chef," she winks at me and continues to take another bite of our shockingly successful pasta dish. "Hey guys, come here! You have to try our dish," she calls over Puck and Sugar who have also paired up and just a couple stations over.

"Why does theirs look so good? Our pasta came out deformed," I can't help but laugh at Sugar's comment as I look over to Puck holding a plate of their attempt at ravioli.

"Whatever, Shug. It's not all about looks, still taste pretty good to me," Puck shrugs and takes a big bite of their dish.

"Let me try!" Brittany hands Puck our dish and waiting for him to hand over theirs. She takes a bite of their version of a ravioli and starts nodding her head as she continues to chew the food in her mouth. "Not bad! The sauce is really good but I think the key is to get the cheese stuffed _into_ the pasta..." She laughs as Puck goes to smack her on the arm. "I'm just messing with you guys. This is delicious."

The class ends with the most delicious tiramisu I have ever tasted in my life served with a dessert wine. Everyone is full and thanking the chefs for the class as we make our way back out to the bus to take us back to the hotel. It has been such a long day but I've loved every minute of it and it's only the first day!

"So, it's still early. Should we go explore the city tonight?" Puck asks as we are walking through the lobby towards the elevators. "I'm still stuffed so no dinner but we can get drinks or walk around, see if we find a cool bar or something. What do you guys think?"

"I'm in! Can we find somewhere to dance?" Brittany says.

"I'm in too. Should we freshen up and meet back down here in an hour?" Sugar asks as the elevator opens to mine and Brittany's floor.

"I think I'm going to stay in tonight actually…" I start to tell them. "I'm kind of tired and know we have another long day of sightseeing tomorrow," I lie. I really just want to take a quick shower and squeeze in some studying. Also, I desperately need to call Quinn and talk to her about my day and Brittany. I mean, we've only been around each other for less than 24 hours but the butterflies I got in my stomach when she took my hand earlier or how my body felt warm when it was pressed against mine, is definitely not normal. So, yes, definitely need to talk to Quinn.

I look up and see a frown on Brittany's face. "Oh. Okay. Well get rest and we'll see you tomorrow."

"Have fun guys! I'll see you tomorrow," I wave and make my way to my room.

I kick my shoes off and through my body onto my perfectly made bed the second I walk through the door. This. Feels. Amazing. The shower can wait. I need to call Quinn.

" _San!"_

"Hey Q. How are you?"

" _I'm good. Had an interview earlier today so I haven't done much since then. How are you? What did you guys do today?"_

"Today was amazing Q. We toured the Colosseum and then had a cooking class and learned how to make fresh pasta!"

" _Really? Lucky bitch! So, like, you can cook now?"_ I hear her sarcasm through the phone.

"Better than you!"

" _Sooo,"_ She drags out. _"Have you been all over a particular blonde?"_

"Actually, I need to talk to you about her. I don't know what it is Quinn! Like today, she got me to do something I would never do. Then I was freaking out and being all 'everything needs to be perfect', you know how I am, and then she touches me and I calmed down and…"

" _Hold up! You're not making any sense San. Start from the beginning."_

"Okay. Well, I guess it started on the bus? We sat next to each other and we were talking and she started asking me if medicine is my passion and then she started talking about film. Then we get to the Colosseum and all of sudden I'm being dragged away from the tour and I look up to see Brittany! We went to the upper levels, which I still don't think we were allowed to be, but that's not the point. Actually, it is! I don't break rules, Q! But being with her felt safe, almost like nothing could be wrong."

" _You're kind of freaking out again. What else happened?"_

"Oh yeah. So, we started talking. She asked me if I still sing. Quinn, she's seen me sing before and told me I have an awesome voice and would buy my album or something. I don't know, I sort of couldn't hear her since I was having a mini panic attack."

" _Really? That's awesome!"_

"What do you mean, awesome?"

" _Awesome because she's seen you sing, meaning she definitely noticed you in high school. Tell me more! I assume you didn't actually have a panic attack and completely embarrass yourself..."_

"No, not completely. Pretty close though. Whatever, we were talking about stuff and at one point I noticed her get quiet and sad after she mentioned a family trip. I wanted to ask what it was all about but she changed the subject. We ended up partnering up for the cooking class and you know how I get when things are going perfectly," I hear Quinn hum in agreement. "So, I was totally messing up the dough and she noticed I was getting frustrated and came up behind me and helped me roll out the dough. It was so weird, Q! I don't think I've ever felt a spark like that before. Like the ones that happen in movies and is so over the top dramatic but it happened, I swear."

" _I've never heard you talk about someone like this. Not even when you were with Amanda."_

"That's because I've never felt like this before. Tell me I'm crazy. It's barely been one day. I don't even really know her. I just know I want to spend time with her and learn everything there is to know about her," I sigh.

" _As your best friend, I say spend as much time with her. This could be good for you. Even if nothing comes of it, she seems like she could be a great friend for you. You've always been so focused on school and you just need to let loose and experience life the way it sounds Brittany does. Don't_ _overthink_ _it, S."_

"You're right. I miss you, by the way."

" _Yeah yeah. I miss you too. Go enjoy your night and keep me posted on your lover."_

"She's not my lover! You're such an ass sometimes."

" _I'm just messing. Bye San."_

I hang up and think about what Quinn said. She's right. No point in over thinking anything. I don't really know much about Brittany. In just one day, she has opened my eyes to a world I never would willingly choose to explore. She is adventurous and I follow rules. She is playful and, yeah, I can be uptight. But being in her presence, it's incredible, it's addicting and she exudes all things good.

 **Authors Note: Hope you guys are enjoying the story so far! I'm thinking about changing the upload time to twice a week. (Wednesday and Sundays) Comment/review on thoughts about the story and if you'd like to see chapters more frequently!**


	3. Never Have I Ever

**Thanks for the reviews! Anon: Yes, at some point we get to see Brittany's POV. Hang in there! :P Enjoy the next chapter and don't forget to review!**

 **Chapter 3: Never Have I Ever**

The next couple days fly by. When we get to Florence, we are given a free day which I take full advantage of. Sugar and I decide to head to the beach while Brittany is off filming with Puck. After the beach, we split up, so I can study until it's time to go out for dinner. Puck and Brittany find a cool place while they're out filming and make a reservation for the four of us. Venice is absolutely breathtaking. We visit different churches and ancient sites. I love everything Italy has had to offer but so excited for our next stop, Switzerland. We are taking a train from Venice to Lucerne, Switzerland and I can't wait to see the scenery along the way.

"Okay, looks like we are in Cabin 5," Puck says as we get checked in for the train.

The train has separate cabins with a door for privacy. There is a table in the middle between two rows of benched seats and the best part, a huge window that allows us to enjoy the scenery during our trip.

We've been on the train for about an hour and everyone seems content doing their own thing. Sugar is listening to music and reading a gossip magazine, while Puck is playing a game on his iPad. I look over to Brittany who has been going through all the footage she got in Italy. As I go back to reading my book, I hear Puck sigh.

"Guys, I'm bored."

"And what would you like us to do about that?" Brittany says without looking up from her laptop.

"I don't know but…," he says as he goes through his backpack looking for something. "I thought these would help!" He smirks.

"Where'd you snatch those from?" Sugar asks.

"The hotel shop," he says as he holds the four mini vodka bottles. "I got some juice too! Let's play 'Never Have I Ever'!"

Puck goes to grab four cups from the attendant near our door and starts making each one of us a drink.

"Uh. I've never played before," I say shyly.

"Seriously? Never? Not even in college?" Puck says in shock. I shake my head. "Well, it's fun and super easy. Basically, we'll go in a circle and each person will say something they have never done. Whoever has done it will take a sip from their drink. Easy?"

"Yeah. Easy."

"Okay. I'll go first. Never have I ever thrown up from drinking too much," he says with pride. I look over and see Sugar rolling her eyes as she takes a drink. I turn to Brittany, who is sitting next to me, and notice she has a smile on her face and doesn't take a sip.

"Don't be so cocky, Puckerman. You know I can out-drink you any day," she smirks.

"Uh. Never have I ever been suspended from school," Sugar says and quickly looks between Puck and Brittany as they both take a sip. I look over to Brittany with a raised eyebrow.

"Long story. But it was all his fault!" Brittany says as she points to Puck, and he doesn't deny.

"Whatever, it was a good prank! And no one made you do it with me," he says.

"My turn! Uh, never have I ever tried magic mushrooms," Brittany says. Puck takes a sip.

"That was a good time!" He says. "Your turn Santana."

"Um. Okay. Never have I ever been skydiving," I say. I keep it PG and easy. They all take a sip.

"Never have I ever slept with a dude," Puck continues the game. Sugar takes a sip along with Brittany.

"Not my proudest moment. First and last time that happened!" Brittany adds as she makes a fake gagging noise. I can't help but laugh a little.

"You look a little thirsty, Puck. Never have I ever slept with a girl," Sugar says with a wink.

My heart starts to speed up as I lift the cup slowly to my lips to take a sip of my drink. I try not to make eye contact with any of them, especially Brittany. I don't know if she knows I'm gay but she's about to find out.

She leans in close to my ear and whispers, "I knew you played for my team."

My whole body freezes. I turn to her slowly and just nod like an idiot. What's wrong with me! It's like I forget how to speak every time she gets this close to me.

"Watch this," she says and backs away to continue with the game.

"Never have I ever cheated on my girlfriend!" She says and looks towards Puck as she laughs.

"No! That's bullshit! I didn't cheat. We were on a break!" Puck yells.

"I know. I just wanted to fuck with you a little," Brittany says and looks to me with knowing smirk on her face, as I get lost in her eyes and forget it's my turn. "You're up, San."

"Oh. Yeah," I pause to gather myself and think of what I can say. "Never have I ever smoked weed."

"You're missing out!" Puck says. I roll my eyes and wait for him to go again.

"My drink is done!" Puck says, disappointed.

"Yeah. Mine too," Sugar adds. "Guess that's the end of that."

I hand my drink to Puck since I barely took a sip from it anyways. "You can have the rest of mine. I'm gonna study a little bit," I say as I grab my headphones to put some calming music.

Another hour passes, and I'm glad that I'm able to stay focused. I almost forget that we are still on the train. I start on a new case study when I feel Brittany nudge my arm.

I take my headphones off to see what she wants. She nods her head across the table towards Puck and Sugar and I see that they are both asleep.

"Are you done studying? They fell asleep half hour ago and I'm bored," she says with a pout. An adorable pout, might I add.

"Uh, yeah. I think I got enough done for now. What do you want to do?" I ask wondering how I'm supposed to keep her entertained while stuck on this train.

"Hmm…," she taps her chin as if she's thinking. "I have cards! Go fish?" She suggests.

"Sure. Haven't played that since I was a kid."

"Have any 4's?" I ask.

"Go Fish," she smirks. "Hmm. Have any 8's?"

"Go Fish. Do you have any 2's?"

"Nope! Go Fish," she says. "So, are you enjoying yourself so far?" She asks me before I have a chance to go.

"Yeah, I am. It's definitely out of character for me to drop everything and go on a month-long trip but so far it all seems worth it," I say with a genuine smile.

She smiles back at me. "Good. I'm glad you came. Any 6's?" She continues the game.

"Yup!"

"Sweet," she cheers. "What's the most exciting thing you've ever done? And this trip does NOT count," she says.

What do I say? She's going to think I'm so boring. I honestly can't think of anything.

"Um, I went to a performing arts camp one year when I was 15. I know it doesn't sound really cool, but it was really fun. It's basically a week filled with singing and performing," I tell her and suddenly I feel nervous. Why? I have no idea. It's a feeling I've been getting when I'm around Brittany, like I need to impress her. I just don't want her to judge me, not that I think she can. She just seems like the sweetest person, but I'm not used to having many friends or bonding with someone this quickly. I mean, the only person in my life is Quinn and that friendship took years to build.

"That sounds awesome! I wish I went to a camp like that except I can't sing to save my life," she laughs.

"I'm sure you're not that bad."

"I'm tone deaf. Trust me, San. I'll leave the singing to you," she winks. "When did you come out?"

My eyes widen as I feel my hands clam up at the sudden change in topic and her bluntness. I guess our friendly game of Go Fish ended. "I came out to my parent's sophomore year. I kind of always knew that I wasn't attracted to guys the way I felt I should be. My parents were really supportive of me even though I was freaking out and Quinn knew before I even said anything. What about you?"

"Apparently, I came out when I was 5!" I can't help but laugh. Of course, this strong, free-spirited human would know who she was at a young age. I find that so hot. Wait. No. I find that admirable. Yes, better. "My mom used to tell this story to everyone she would meet, apparently. I came home from school one day and told her that I was going to marry Charlie. I went on and on about how we would get married in the playground by the sandbox and we would be able to hold hands and play together forever. My mom didn't know at the time that Charlie was a girl. The next day, I came running into the house and started telling my mom how pretty Charlie is and that she is the best person ever and how she shared all her toys with me and that now I was _definitely_ sure I wanted to marry her. My mom didn't even react. I think she was more worried of scaring me off since I didn't know any different. That's just the type of person she was." Suddenly I see her face change like it did at the Colosseum. I notice she says, 'the type of person she was,' as in the past.

Naturally, I reach over and move her hand between mine to comfort her, to let her know that I'm here to listen to her if she wants to talk about it. "Britt," she looks up at me and I see her trying to hold back tears.

"Sorry. I don't usually talk about my mom because then I start getting all sad and I don't like feeling sad," she says with her head hanging and shoulders slumped. "She passed away before sophomore year of high school. I remember that day like it was yesterday. I was the one who answered the door thinking it was Sugar coming over to hang out since school was starting in a week. But it wasn't Sugar. My dad was at work and I guess my mom left work early that day to surprise me and take me back-to-school shopping." I see a tear fall from her eyes and immediately wrap my arm around her shoulder. She cries on my shoulder but lifts her head up slightly. "She was down the street when another car ran a red light and crashed right into her on the driver side. It's as if everything went black when the officer said she was gone."

She is crying and fully leaning into me and I don't know if I am doing enough to comfort her. I can't even imagine going through something like that let alone at such a young age. "Britt," I whisper to her as I continue to hold her as tightly as I can. "Britt," I say a little louder, but still quiet enough to not wake the other two, who are thankfully still asleep. She lifts her head a little and looks at me. "I'm so sorry," I pause, not knowing exactly what to say. "I had no idea," I say as I rub her arm.

"No, don't apologize," she says as she lifts her head further off my shoulder to sit upright. "Not many people know. Sugar and Puck are the only ones I really let in during that time." She takes a deep breath. "I, uh, it was really hard for me. She was my everything. Me and my dad were always close, but my mom was my best friend. She's the one that got me into film. She was a photographer. It was incredible the way she saw the world through her camera. I remember when she gave me my first camera. It was hers and I swear I practically slept with it." She chuckled at the memory. This girl amazes me the more I get to know her. "We don't talk about her much. Me and my dad. I don't think he can handle it. They met freshmen year of college and have been together ever since. As hard as it was for me to handle, I could see my dad breaking day by day."

"You can talk about her with me whenever you want. I am happy to listen, Britt. She sounds like she was an amazing person and an even more amazing mom," I give her a genuine smile.

"Thanks, San. I'm going to wash up before those two dorks wake up and see me crying," she says and gets up to go to the restroom. I just sit and think back to the Colosseum when she mentioned her family trip. That explains the sudden change in her face that I noticed. There is a part of me that wishes we were friends in high school. I smile as I look across the table to Puck and Sugar sleeping, knowing she was not alone.

She returns looking refreshed and sits back down close to me. "So, should we wake them up or what?" I nod.

"GUYS! WAKE UP!" She shouts, scaring me as well in the process. I was not expecting that.

I see them both open their eyes, clearly startled having their sleep interrupted.

"What the fuck, Britt! Do you have to give me a heart attack?" Puck yells, still trying to wake up and grasp what just happened. I look over to Brittany and she can't control her laughter. It's good to see her laugh, considering the conversation we had just minutes before.

"Stop being such a girl, Puck. You're fine! Plus, you guys have been sleeping too long," Brittany teases him.

"Whatever, dude. I'm sure San was good company. What? Did you guys gossip about all the hot lady lovin' you guys have had?" I immediately blush at his words, but Brittany doesn't seem fazed.

"Shut up, Puck. You're just jealous that I can get more girls than you and I'm sure so can San," she says with a smirk.

I can't get my face to cool down and I look to Puck who just rolls his eyes.

"How long have we been asleep? Feels like it was only five minutes," Sugar says, and I am thankful that she's changing the topic. I don't have the confidence that Brittany does and the whole topic of our 'sexcapades' makes me uncomfortable. Since coming out, I've only really been in one serious relationship and haven't dated much outside of that. Plus, the fact that I am totally crushing on Britt makes this topic even worse.

"Definitely was not five minutes. More like an hour!" Brittany says.

"How much longer?" Sugar whines.

"Another couple of hours. We just passed through Milan, I think, not too long ago," I tell them. I like knowing where we are each step of the way.

"So, what's the plan when we arrive? Don't think we have anything scheduled with the group today but tomorrow we have the Swiss Chocolate Factory and touring Old Town!" Sugar mentions.

I know after being on this train for several hours I'm not going to want to go out. Also, I should probably call my parents since I've only had the chance to talk to them a couple times in the last 10 days.

"Think they mentioned that an early dinner was being offered to our group once we arrive. We should check it out and if it's lame we can explore the area," Puck suggests, and everyone seems to agree. I can definitely go for some food!

The next couple hours go by fairly quickly and we finally arrive at our destination. Lucerne is absolutely breathtaking! The greenery and scenery are something out of a postcard. Our hotel is situated right along the water. I can't wait to explore this town. Brittany immediately starts capturing the beauty that surrounds us with her camera and after our conversation of getting her first camera from her mom, it makes me unconsciously smile at her as she continues to film.

I must be staring at her longer than I thought because I am suddenly ripped out of my 'Brittany' trance by Sugar's voice.

"Hey, San. Watcha lookin' at?" I feel panic flow through my body. I look like a complete idiot just staring at a girl filming, not doing anything particularly exciting, but to me is the most captivating thing.

I realize that I get lost in thought again and haven't even acknowledged Sugar. "Oh, nothing. Just admiring the view. It's gorgeous, isn't it?" I lie, hoping she won't see right through me.

I completely miss the smirk she gives me. "Yeah. It really is. Come on, let's check in. I'm sure you can 'admire' the view again later." My head snaps to her as she just casually walks off toward the hotel lobby. Wait, did she catch me staring at Brittany? Shit.

I shake my head, trying to not overthink as I speed up to catch up to her. I see Puck and Brittany getting their room information.

"Name?" The hotel concierge asks.

"Santana Lopez."

"Hmm. Lopez, Lopez. I don't have a Lopez checking in for today. Are you sure it was booked correctly?"

"Yes? It is booked through the same company that booked the rest of this group," I tell him

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Miss Lopez. I see the reservation here, but the room was double booked and won't be available for two days," he tells me.

"Okay. So, can you book me another room until mine becomes available?" I ask my frustration growing by the second. I don't understand what the big deal is. Is this his first day working here? Ugh.

"Ma'am, we would but there are no longer any rooms available. We are completely booked."

Seriously? "What the hell am I supposed to do? You sure you don't have any rooms available?" I start getting angry and the group notices something is wrong.

"What's going on, San?" I hear Brittany ask as I continue to stare down the man clicking away on his computer, probably out of fear that I am going to slap him if he doesn't find me a room. I'm hungry and tired and been on a train for way too long to deal with this shit.

I sigh and turn towards them. "They screwed up my reservation, I guess. My room won't be available for two days and now he is telling me they don't have any open rooms to give me until then."

"You can stay with me!" I turn towards Sugar.

"Are you sure? I'm sure the hotel can do something and find me a room...," I look toward the now two men, as the hotel manager has also joined the commotion.

I see him shake his head as he continues to click around his computer. "I'm very sorry, Miss Lopez but there is really nothing we can do. I would be more than happy to call the hotel across the road to get you a room."

He can't be serious. This couldn't have gotten off to a worse start. Being tired is not helping and I just want to punch him in the face, to be honest.

"That won't be necessary. She will stay with me," I can hear the attitude in Sugar's voice and smirk back at the manager.

"Thanks, Sugar." I give her a genuine smile. All I want to do is sleep at this point.

"Shug, didn't they give you a room with one bed?" Brittany asks.

"Yeah. No big deal. It's a king. We can share if you don't mind?" She looks towards me. I just shrug. Honestly, I can care less at this point. A bed is a bed.

"Well, I think they gave me a room with two beds. Why don't you just stay with me, San? That way you can have your own space."

Um. No. I mean, yes, logically I should be totally going for the room with Brittany but I can't be in a room with her! Nope! No, thank you.

"San?"

"Huh? Oh yeah. Whatever. I'll stay with Britt." Wait. What? "Since she has an extra bed." Logic.

"Yay! This is going to be so much fun! Me and Sugar used to have sleepovers all the time in high school! Oh, Sugar, come to our room in a bit and we'll have a girl's night. Sorry, Puck," she quickly adds.

"Sure. Ditch the dude. Thanks, guys!" Puck tells us but has a smile on his face, clearly not that angry. "I'm probably going to just see what the chicks are like in this country. I'm sure they won't be able to resist the Puckster."

The three of us all look at him, with a raised eyebrow. "Puckster? Really?" I question, shaking my head.

We all make our way towards our rooms to freshen up and meet up for a quick meal in the hotel lobby. Brittany opens the door to our shared room and we put our bags down by our beds.

"Did you want to shower or anything before dinner?"

"Yeah. If you were going to shower too, go for it. I told my mom I would call her when we got here. I want to try and catch them before it's too late. You know, time difference and all." She nods and grabs her things and heads towards the bathroom.

I wait to hear the water running before I call.

 _Ring Ring..._

" _Hi, baby girl!_ "

"Hi, Mom. I miss you guys!"

" _We miss you too, sweetie. How was the train ride?"_

"Good. The time went by faster than I thought."

" _That's good."_

"Yeah. The booking for my room somehow got messed up though, so I kind of didn't have a room waiting for me when we got here. That was fun to deal with!"

" _What are you going to do? Where are you staying?"_

"I'm staying in Brittany's room for a couple of nights. She got a room with an extra bed. They said they would have a room ready for me by then."

" _Oh, that's good. Oh, hold on, your dad wants to hear your voice and say hello!"_

" _Hi, honey! How's your trip?"_

"It's good, Dad. We just got to Switzerland. It's so pretty here, Dad. Our hotel is literally right along the water. We have a few things scheduled tomorrow, so I'm sure we'll be seeing more."

" _Good. You sound happy."_

"I am. I'm really happy I did this. And don't worry. I'm still finding time to study."

" _Oh, I don't doubt that one minute. Don't push yourself too hard. You were right. You really should be enjoying this time of your life."_

I hear the water turn off.

"Thanks, Dad. I love you guys! I'm actually gonna go. We're meeting for dinner soon and I need to wash up after being on the train all day. Give Mom a kiss for me!"

I hang up just as Brittany comes out of the bathroom. I notice she's dressed, which I'm happy about but at the same time, unwilling to admit, slightly disappointed. I can just imagine what she would look like wet from the shower with nothing but a towel wrapped around her perfectly toned body. Seriously, Santana? Get your mind out of the freaking gutter!

"All yours!" She tells me as she starts to dry her hair.

I quickly grab my clothes, as she did, and head to the bathroom. Being in the shower, I get the chance to just be by myself with my thoughts. I realize that sharing a room with her is going to be a lot harder than I thought.

After my much-needed shower, Brittany and I get ready and head downstairs to meet the others for dinner.

"So, ladies, still having your little slumber party?"

"Yes," Brittany answers.

"No chance of me joining on the festivities?" He asks hopefully.

"No chance, Puck! Sorry!" Sugar tells him.

"In high school, he always tried to get in on our sleepovers, thinking we sat around in tiny shorts, pillow fighting and making out. Perv," Brittany tells me while keeping his eyes on Puck.

"Oh, please. Don't even try and tell me that that wasn't exactly what was going on all those years!"

I see Brittany roll her eyes at her best friend and throw her napkin at him playfully.

"Whatever. Guess you'll never find out!" She winks at him with a suggestive smirk. "I'm stuffed. Should we go buy us a bottle to take to the room and get our hot, steamy sleepover started?"

I can't help but laugh when I look over to Puck crossing his arms over his chest and huffs.

"Yeah! Let's do it!" Sugar says and we all walk towards the lobby and out onto the street to find the nearest market. "See you tomorrow, Puck! Don't get into any trouble."

We are back in our room, already on our second bottle of wine, just enjoying our night in after a long travel day.

"What do you think Puck's up to?" Sugar asks as she takes a long sip of her wine.

"Probably getting rejected by beautiful European women, you know, the usual." I can't help but laugh at Brittany's answer.

"Yeah, your probably right! So have you heard anything from the film programs you've applied to?"

"Not yet. I'm sure they'll make a decision soon."

"Where have you applied?" I ask, silently hoping that she might end up somewhere close.

"Well, the one I really want to get into is in London. But I applied to USC, since I did my undergrad there, figured that might give me an advantage. The others I did more as a backup just in case the other two don't work out."

"Is Jenn applying to London too?" Sugar asks.

"Um, I'm not really sure." I see Brittany shift uncomfortably at the question. "I haven't talked to her since we ended things," she shrugs. So at least I know she's single! But I want to know more about Jenn without sounding too interested. "Don't think she really wants to hear from me anyway, considering..."

"Oh, come on, Britt. Don't blame yourself for what happened."

"Kind of hard not to."

"What happened? If you don't mind me asking. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," I quickly add. I question came out before I had a chance to realize that maybe I was coming off as nosy.

"No, it's okay. She was in a lot of my film classes and we got together my Junior year. She was a senior. After she graduated, we decided to move in together, but Senior year is when things get really hectic for the film department. We are required to get an internship and well let's just say I was spending more time working and doing projects for school than spending it with her."

"Britt, she went through the same things you did. I still think you were too good for her. She was not understanding, at all," Sugar says trying to make her feel better. "She was just so clingy and needy. It was annoying if you ask me," she adds as she looks to me.

"Don't be mean, Shug. She was not annoying. I should have been able to balance my relationship and school better, but I don't know. I'm just not really good at the whole relationship thing. That was the longest one I have ever been in anyways."

I don't believe her for one second. I imagine she would be an amazing girlfriend.

"So, she was planning on going to the same program as you?" I ask.

"Yeah, that was the plan. She was going to take a year off while I finished up my undergrad. She was working on some freelance projects and we were going to apply to a few programs together."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I totally get it. I was kind of in the same situation with my last girlfriend too. School and a relationship just don't mix well," I say jokingly to lighten the mood.

"Amen!" They both agree.

"Well, cheers! To being young, hot, single and traveling the world!" Sugar says as we all raise our glasses and gulp the rest of the wine remaining in our glasses.

Three bottles later and it's safe to say we are all drunk.

"I think I'm gonna head to my room. Been a long day and I am totally drunk."

"Yeah, I want my bed. Doesn't it look like a beautiful cloud? Mmmmm, I want the covers to hug me and rock me to sleep," Brittany says. Yeah, definitely drunk.

Sugar laughs and walks, well, more like stumbles, towards the door.

"Goodnight, Shug. Love you!"

"Night, guys. Hope you enjoy your cloud, Britt."

I look over my shoulder from the door to see where Brittany disappeared to and I freeze. Standing there in nothing but her bra and matching underwear is Brittany. I feel my throat dry and can't get myself to look away. She is digging through her luggage, I assume looking for something to sleep in, and is getting frustrated the deeper she gets.

"Uh, Britt? Need help?" I finally get myself to snap out of it. This would be a lot easier if I was sober.

"I can't find my shirt! Where the hell is it?" I hear her say, as her other clothes are being thrown in every direction.

I go over to my luggage and see one of my sleep shirts at the top. I grab it and walk over to Britt with shaky legs and hand it to her.

"Here, you can wear mine. Maybe you'll have more luck tomorrow when you don't have a ton of wine in your system," I say with a smile.

I hear her giggle and her cheeks are red from the alcohol. She's adorable right now. "Thanks, San!" She stands up so quickly that I don't have a chance to step back and next thing I know she has her arms around my neck and is squeezing me into a tight hug. I feel my heart rate increase at the feel of her mostly naked body pressed so tightly against mine. Oh god, alcohol was not a good idea when I have to share a room with her.

I reluctantly pull away from the hug, not trusting our new-found position, and give her a smile. "You're welcome, Britt."

I quickly go to the bathroom to change and splash my face with water to cool off. When I get back in our room, I see Britt sprawled out in the middle of her bed like a starfish, knocked out. I smile at her cuteness and climb in bed to sleep, but not without thinking how much I'd rather be in bed next to her to feel her warm body against mine. Yeah, I'm sure it would feel amazing. The thoughts of Brittany fill my brain, eventually lulling me into a peaceful sleep.


	4. Ditch Day

**Happy Super Bowl Sunday!**

 **Chapter 4: Ditch Day**

"San."

"Hmm."

"San, wake up."

"Mm, no. Go away."

"San. Please! Wake up."

I am slowly being pulled out of my sleep. I drag my head from under my pillow, where I previously was buried in order to avoid the voice trying to wake me up from my peaceful slumber.

"Britt?" I ask, confusion laced in my words. "What time is it?"

"7:30," she tells me with a slight blush. Why is this girl even awake right now? I'm pretty sure we all had the same amount to drink last night and my head currently feels like it was thrown against a brick wall, repeatedly.

"Why are you awake?" I ask her as I slowly sit up to not make the pounding in my head any worse.

"I hate sleeping in, plus I always wake up early after a night of drinking."

I swear, if this was any other person, I would have punched them in the face already. But how can I be mad at the beautiful blonde sitting crossed leg next to me? And oh yeah, she's wearing my shirt. I definitely forgot about that. She looks incredibly hot in my clothes.

"Want to get breakfast with me?" She pleads with those puppy eyes that make it impossible to deny. How can I say no to her?

"Sure, Britt," I say tiredly. "But can we like sleep for another hour? It is way too early for me to be functioning like a proper human being after the night we had." I fall back into bed and try to pull the covers over my head to block out any sunlight trying to push through our blinds. I feel the bed move, assuming she was getting up to get back in her bed as well when suddenly the covers are yanked completely off my body. Before I have a chance to scream and freak out on her, Brittany is straddling my hips and has my wrists pinned above my head.

"Britt! What the hell!"

"Can we go eat now? Please!" She begs. "I'm so hungry!"

"I need sleep!" I argue back quickly.

"I promise we can come back and take a nap after we eat." She starts pouting, looking like a sad puppy and I roll my eyes, knowing that there is no way she is going to let me go back to sleep now. No point in fighting a losing battle.

I try to wiggle my wrists from her grip but damn, this girl is strong! She lets go of my wrists but does not move from her position around my waist. I can't help but imagine being in this position with her with a lot less clothing. My body suddenly feels really hot and I want more than anything to get out of this position I have somehow found myself in.

"Okay, Britt. But, um, you kind of need to get off me so I can get ready."

A blush creeps on her cheeks and her eyes go wide. Did she just realize how she had me pinned to the bed? I try and hide my smirk.

"Oh, um, yeah! Sorry! Okay, go get ready! I'm starving!" She giggles as she hops off of me and runs towards her luggage to change.

I grab some clothes and immediately lock myself in the bathroom to take a quick shower, a cold one at that, so we can head out to the little café Brittany found close to our hotel. She has so much energy for it being so early in the morning but it's so contagious that I suddenly feel rested and just happy to be enjoying her company.

I didn't realize how much I needed food. I could feel my hangover being cured with each bite.

"What time is the first scheduled tour today? I didn't have a chance to look at the itinerary," I ask Brittany, hoping that she knows so we aren't late. Plus, I wouldn't want Sugar or Puck to worry about us if we don't show up on time.

"I think at 10."

I nod in response and continue to take another delicious bite of the food on my plate. We finish up just in time to head back to the hotel to freshen up and start the first tour of Switzerland. As we leave the café, I turn right to go in the direction of our hotel but notice I am alone. I look over my shoulder and see Brittany standing and staring at me with a mischievous grin on her face in front of the café.

I raise my eyebrow as I make my way back to her. "Britt, what are you doing? We should head back before we miss the bus."

No response. She starts bouncing on her toes a little and looks suspicious.

"What if we ditch the tours today? Explore the town by ourselves?"

"Um, Britt, it's all planned out for us. Why would we skip it?"

"You know, San, the tours are not required," she giggles. "This isn't like a school field trip or something," she continues to tease.

I roll my eyes at her.

"You need to loosen up a bit. We are in a different country with no responsibilities. Let's get lost and discover new places. You in?"

I sigh and act like I'm annoyed, but in reality, this doesn't sound like the worst idea in the world. I get more time with Brittany and I already know she is way more fun than any tour guide we probably would be stuck with.

"Okay. I'm in," I smile and she lets out a loud shriek and wraps me in a hug.

"Awesome! Let's go!" She says as she grabs my hand and takes off in the opposite direction. I know that she only took my hand to guide me to wherever she plans on going, but the thought of holding her hand causes a shiver to run down my arm. This feels nice.

"Wait!" I tug her back so she stops walking. "What about Puck and Sugar? Don't you think they'll be worried when we don't show up?"

And I see the same mischievous smirk she had earlier plastered on her face, "Well…"

"What did you do, Britt?" I slowly ask her, suspiciously.

"Nothing!" She says as she raises her hands up as if to say she is innocent but the slight curl of her lip says otherwise. "Okay, so I kind of hoped that you would be down with this impromptu plan when I asked you to get breakfast. I left a note at the lobby for them so they will not be missing us!"

My lips start to lift into a smile, which she immediately returns, her eyes soft and reaches out her hand again for mine, which I take willingly.

"So…," I drag out, "where to first?"

"Chocolate!"

"Chocolate?"

"Yes, San. Chocolate. We're in Switzerland. We need to find the best chocolate. Up for the task?"

"Hell yeah! Lead the way, chocolate master."

We've been wandering the streets for the last half hour trying to find the best chocolate in town. So far, we've been to two shops and they have both been delicious, but Brittany is still convinced we can find better.

"There!" I look to see where she is pointing to when I see a small little shop that, honestly, I probably would have missed had she not seen it. We walk into this cute little shop and the man at the counter immediately greets us.

"American?" He asks in his Swiss accent. He is an older man, probably in his 60's.

"Yes! Is it obvious?" She chuckles. "We've been on the hunt for the best chocolate," Brittany tells him with a giddy smile plastered on her face.

"Well, you have come to the right place. This shop has been in my family for a hundred years."

"No way! Did you hear that, San?" I nod at her feeling equally as excited as she.

"We are best known for our truffles, especially our dark chocolate truffle. Let me get you each a sample!" He tells us and walks behind the glass counter with every chocolate you can imagine on display.

"So, what do you think?"

"Mm. That is delicious! Right, San?"

"Yes! We'll take four dark chocolate and four of your choice. Surprise us!" I tell the man. I want to take some with us back to the hotel to give to Puck and Sugar since truthfully, this is the best chocolate I have ever had in my life.

We stay at the shop for a little longer and talk to the man, and he gives us some suggestions for places to see that, in his opinion, are a must-see.

"Where to next, Britt? Should we head to the lake or the Lion Monument that Sven suggested?" I look to Britt as she raises her finger up to her chin as if to show she is thinking real hard about our next destination. Seriously? Cutest thing ever.

"Umm, how about we rent bikes and just ride around till we find something we want to see?" She suggests.

I nod. "Sure. I can't remember the last time I rode a bike, though." This should be interesting. As long as I don't fall flat on my ass, we should be good.

"You can't forget how to ride a bike, San. You'll be fine. We can even rent you some cute elbow and knee pads, just to be safe," she winks.

I quickly hit her arm and narrow my eyes at her. "Don't make fun of protective gear!"

Brittany goes from serious to suddenly uncontrollable laughter, "No, wait. Don't tell me you were one of those kids that wore knee pads! You are such a nerd!"

She's having issues breathing from laughing so hard. I cross my arms over my chest and throw her a stern look. "Seriously? It's not funny, Britt."

Her laughter starts to die down but I keep my glare on her. "Aww, okay sorry. You're right, it's not funny. I'm sorry," she says as she gets closer to me and hugs me. "What about a butt pad?" She whispers in my ear and I immediately wriggle myself out of her strong arms with my eyebrows furrowed.

"Britt!" I playfully smack her arm.

"Okay, okay. Sorry. I'm done!" She says, raising her hands in defense. "Come on, bubble boy, let's go rent us some bikes."

I can't help but laugh at the nickname and shake my head. We find a rental place that happens to be near the lake. After renting our bikes, and without any knee pads might I add, we start riding around the countryside without a destination in mind. We figured we would end up near the lake eventually.

"Hey, San. Hungry?"

We've stopped near an area that has a few shops and a grocery store.

"Yeah. You?" I ask her as we park our bikes to take a break.

"How about we grab something from that grocery store and take it down by the lake. I think we're close," she suggests. I think about us having a picnic and enjoying the scenery, the image in my head scarily starting to resemble a date. But that wouldn't be a bad thing, right? I mean, she obviously doesn't think it's a date, but no harm in pretending on my end. I'm a lost cause. We grab a couple of sandwiches and some drinks and head back to our bikes.

"I'm going to use the restroom really quickly," she tells me. I nod in acknowledgment and wait for her next to our parked bikes. Ten minutes later she returns with a bag in her hand. I give her a questioning look which she just returns with a smile and a shrug.

"Ready?" She asks as she mounts her bike effortlessly and slips the bag in the basket that hangs on the handlebars.

Within 15 minutes we arrive at Lake Lucerne. I look around and see that it is much larger than I expected. On one side of the lake in the distance, there are homes closely built together and on the other side just large green hills and fields. We end up finding a grassy area where we can enjoy our lunch.

I see Brittany walk over with the same bag as I carry the food we purchased.

"What's in the bag, Britt?" I ask.

"Well, we can't have a picnic without a blanket, right? I saw them in one of the shops before grabbing our food," she tells me as she reaches into the bag and pulls out the blanket.

Can she get any cuter? "You're right. A blanket is a must," I tell her with a genuine smile as she spreads it on the grass. She takes off her shoes and gets comfortable on one side while I grab our food and join her.

"This feels amazing," I tell her. We just finished eating and are both lying on our backs side by side, our elbows lightly touching. I hear her hum in agreement, eyes still closed, soaking in this peaceful moment. "I just noticed, you didn't bring your camera." I turn my head so I am facing her neither one of us moving from our position.

"Yeah. I decided today was a 'camera-free' kind of day. Sometimes I forget to just stop and enjoy what's going on around me because I constantly am trying to capture everything on film," I hear her sigh as she closes her eyes again. We continue to sit in comfortable silence for what feels like hours. Brittany is the first to break the silence, "I'm going to head by the water."

"Okay. Want me to join you?" I ask, noticing her bubbly mood from earlier missing from her voice.

"No, that's okay. Stay here and relax," she tells me and I decide to not push her by asking her questions.

I sit up, resting on my elbows as I watch her walk towards the edge of the lake. I notice her staring off into the distance, hands in her pocket, shoulders slightly slumped. I continue to watch her, not able to pry my eyes away from her. She looks so beautiful, the slight wind in the air making her hair move in the most natural way. She starts moving away from the water towards a small area with flowers. She kneels and picks one flower and walks back towards the water. She just stands there and I keep my eyes glued to her every movement. I see her pick the flower off its stem and drop back down to her knees as she pushes the flower petal toward the open water. I decide to make my way toward her slowly, careful not to interrupt her.

"Happy Birthday, Mom," I hear her say quietly as I get within earshot.

"Britt?" I say softly, hoping not to startle her too much.

She quickly turns her head in my direction, not expecting me to be next to her. I look into her eyes and they are a dark shade of blue, clear that she is holding back the tears that are wanting to burst out.

"Hey, San," she barely gets out and turns her attention back towards the lake. Again, silence takes over. And I just wait, hoping that she's not upset that I interrupted this private moment.

"Today would have been her 50th birthday," she says softly as she continues to stare off into the middle of the lake. I stay quiet and wait for her to continue. "That's part of the reason I wanted to ditch the day of tours. The thought of being around a bunch of people plus Puck and Sugar on top of it all," she says taking a deep breath. "It just didn't seem too appealing to me."

"I'm sorry, Britt. I shouldn't have snuck up on you. I didn't mean to. It's just, you looked lost in thought and I figured I can be there for you," I stutter. "You know, to help with whatever was going through your head. And I'm just sorry. I should've stayed back," I quickly ramble, feeling awful for interrupting her.

"Hey," she says as she breaks her staring contest with the lake and softly grabs my wrist before I have a chance to walk away. "Don't apologize, San. I like talking to you. You don't give me that look that everyone else does like they feel bad for me or something. It's refreshing," she reassures me. "Plus, it was my choice to spend the day with you and you honestly didn't know."

I give her a faint smile. I want, more than anything, to hug her, or something, anything to make her feel better, but before I have the chance to make that decision, Brittany is walking back towards our picnic and I quickly follow.

"Should we head out? It's getting late," she says as she starts to fold the blanket, only now noticing how much time we had spent by the lake. It's crazy how quickly the day can slip away from you.

"Yeah. The group should be finishing up the tour anyways." We finish packing up our stuff and hop on our bikes to head back to the hotel.

"Doesn't look like they're back yet. Think I'm gonna head up to the room and take a shower and rest, you know because _somebody_ woke me up early as hell this morning!" I tell her in a teasing tone.

I see her roll her eyes at me, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Whatever, you know you had fun with me today. More fun than we would've had with the group."

As soon as we enter the room I fall on top of my freshly made bed and let out a sigh of content. I hear Brittany chuckling somewhere next to me. "Dramatic much? You act like we ran a marathon or something."

"Feels like it," I mumble. I grunt as I force myself to get up to take a much-needed shower. I grab my clothes and a towel and head toward the bathroom. As I finish up and turn the water off, I hear a muffled voice on the other side of the door.

" _Yeah. I miss her a lot too, Dad...I know...How's everything at home?...Oh...Really?...Yeah, sure Dad...Can we talk about this more when I get home?... Okay, love you too. Bye"_

I sigh as I hear the conversation come to an end. It did not sound like the best conversation but then again, today being her mom's birthday, I don't know what else to expect. I quickly change and give myself another minute before opening the door, deciding to pretend like I didn't hear her phone call.

"Hey, Britt! All yours!"

She looks in my direction and forces a smile, "Thanks." She slowly gets up, grabbing her clothes and heading toward the bathroom. I quickly grab the hotel phone and dial Puck's room number, taking advantage of the fact that Brittany is in the shower.

 _Ring Ring..._

" _Hello?"_

"Hey, it's Santana."

" _Oh! What's up, Lopez? How was your day with Britt?"_

"It was really good! I actually called because today is Britt's moms' birthday and she seems a little down after her phone call with her dad. I was thinking if we should maybe do something tonight, get her mind off things. What do you think?"

" _Yeah. I figured she would want to be alone today. What did you have in mind?"_

"I don't know. I'll talk to her and see what she's in the mood for. I'll call you back with a plan."

" _Sounds good. Talk to you soon."_

I hang up and a few minutes later, Brittany comes out looking refreshed.

"So, I talked to Puck. We were trying to figure out what to do tonight. Any suggestions?"

"Umm, doesn't matter to me. Maybe something around the hotel. I'm starting to feel a little tired."

"Okay, Britt. I'll call him and tell them to meet us at the bar in the lobby in an hour?" I ask her.

"Yeah. That works."

I still see a hint of sadness in her eyes but don't want to push her to talk if she doesn't want to, so I decide it's best if I give her some time alone.

"Want to rest a little? I can tell them to meet us in a couple hours. I'm actually going to go downstairs to get something to eat. I can bring something back up for you, if you'd like."

"Okay. Thank you."

"No problem, Britt. See you in a bit," I tell her and leave the room, making sure to grab my phone so I can call Quinn.

I find a quiet table at the little café that is connected to our hotel. After the waitress takes my order, I take out my phone and decide to call Quinn.

"Hey, Q!"

" _Hey, San. How are you_?"

"Good. Tired. It's been a long day and I'm kind of missing home _."_

" _Well, we miss you too, loser. Where are you guys now_?"

"Switzerland! It is absolutely gorgeous here, Q. Today was really our first full day and Britt convinced me to ditch the tours to have our own day of sightseeing, which honestly, was way better than any tour would've been."

" _I'm sure she didn't have to do much convincing_."

"Shut up. But yeah, you're right. I actually had to share a room with her last night since the stupid hotel didn't have a room booked for me when we got here. So, that was interesting, to say the least."

" _Seriously? Did anything happen?"_

"No, Quinn! Nothing happened. We just stayed in the room and Sugar joined us and we got drunk. Brittany is so energetic in the morning, she actually got me out of bed by 8 am today."

" _Wow! I never see you up that early, unless of course, it was a test day, which doesn't even count because I'm pretty sure you never really went to sleep those nights anyway."_

"Well, believe it! We had a really nice day, though. Glad I dragged my ass out of bed. Umm, actually it's her mom's birthday today. On our way to Switzerland, we were talking about how we came out to our parents and she broke down all of a sudden. Q, her mom passed away when we were in high school…"

" _Oh shit…"_

"Yeah. And today, she wanted to be away from the group, so she convinced me to do something else for the day."

" _So, she feels comfortable to be around you and confide in you, S. That's actually really sweet."_

"She said that I don't give her a look of sympathy. I didn't even realize how I was looking at her, but it's nice to know she can just be herself and talk about her mom."

" _You're a good friend, S. I have no doubt that you would handle this situation any differently. So… what's the plan for the rest of the night?"_

"Britt's in the room resting. I told her I was going to go down to grab some food for us. Just really wanted to give her some space. I kind of heard her on the phone with her dad and she seemed sad after she hung up. Plus, I wanted to talk to you and get your opinion."

" _Just continue to be there for her, San. Don't push her to talk about anything she doesn't want to and if she wants, she'll come to you."_

"You're right. Well, I'm going to order some food for us and head back upstairs. We're meeting Puck and Sugar for drinks tonight at the bar in our hotel. I really do miss you, Q. If you see my parents, let them know I miss them and will give them a call soon!"

" _I will. Miss you too, San."_

After my phone call with Quinn, I quickly finish my food and put in an order to-go for Britt and head back upstairs. When I walk in the room, I see Brittany has moved under the covers and is sound asleep. I decide to let her sleep for a little longer, but not too long so her food doesn't get cold. I give Sugar and Puck a quick call to let them know to meet us downstairs in two hours and go to wake Brittany up. I walk around to the side of the bed where she is tucked and see that her face is a little tense, even in her sleep. A piece of hair has fallen in her face and moves with every breath she takes, so without thinking, I reach down to gently brush the hair away. She starts to stir and I quickly move my hand away, not wanting to freak her out by my touch. It all seems a little too intimate and I don't know if that would make her feel uncomfortable.

"Hey. What time is it?" She says sleepily, barely opening her eyes.

"It's 7," I tell her softly.

"I don't even remember falling asleep. What time are we meeting the others?"

"We still have time. I brought some food up for you if you're hungry," I say and get up to grab the food for her as she starts to wake up more and sit up against the bed.

"Thanks, San. I am pretty hungry, actually. Did you eat already?"

"Yeah. I had a bite downstairs. I knew you were tired, so I wanted to give you some peace and quiet while you rested."

"You didn't have to do that. I honestly would have slept through anything," she says through a laugh as she takes a bite of her food.

A couple hours later and we head down to the lobby.

"Hey guys, over here!" I hear Sugar as I look over to the bar, waving us down.

Brittany quickly bounces over to her best friends and I follow closely behind her.

"Hey! Missed you guys today! How was it? What did you guys do?" Brittany asks as she hugs both of them.

"It was cool. We went to a chocolate making factory and got to sample some stuff. The rest of the day was mostly sightseeing. We saw a couple of churches. What about you? What kind of trouble did you two get into?" Puck asked with a smirk.

"Trouble? Us?" I hear Brittany say innocently. "We just wandered around a bit. We did have some amazing chocolate. Think San bought some extra for you guys to try. We rented a couple of bikes and road to the lake. That was beautiful. We should all try to go out there before we leave."

We spend the next couple of hours enjoying drinks and exchanging stories about college and high school. It's funny to listen to their stories from high school and learning that they were just a bunch of dorks themselves. I always thought of them as popular and cool but here I am, enjoying their company more than I could ever imagine. We finished up and all went our separate ways to our rooms, deciding to call it an early night.

We both take turns using the bathroom to wash up and get ready for bed. The room is silent for a minute, all the lights off and I am about to turn over to get comfortable and fall asleep when Brittany breaks the silence.

"You awake?" She whispers.

"Yeah."

"I just wanted to say thank you again for today," she tells me softly.

"You don't have to keep thanking me, Britt. I had a really nice day," I say honestly. I hesitate to bring up any other conversation, not knowing if she wants to keep talking about what is bothering her from her talk with her dad. "Britt?"

"Yeah."

"You know you can talk to me whenever you want."

"Thanks," I hear her sigh. "Hey, San?"

"Yeah, Britt."

"Where do you see yourself in five years?"

I did not expect that, but then again, it's Brittany. She is beautifully random and it's a quality I have grown to really like about her. "Umm. Well, do you want my practiced answer or the real Santana answer…" I say through a giggle, trying to hide my nerves. This isn't the first time I've been asked this question, but it might be the first time I give the real answer.

"The real one, duh," she says. I can hear her moving around in her bed and even though the lights are off, the slight moonlight that is coming through our window is illuminating the room just enough to see her turn to face me, waiting for my answer.

"In five years, I see myself graduating from medical school and hopefully starting my residency in my specialty," I start to say. I know she is just waiting for me to continue, knowing that isn't my complete answer. "I also see myself settling down, or at least I hope to have found someone to settle down with, you know, marriage, kids, house picket fence, the whole thing."

"That sounds nice."

"What about you?"

"Hmm. Five years. Honestly? I see myself traveling, hopefully getting a job that allows me to travel and experience new things all the time. Finding someone sounds nice, but I don't know if I can see myself settling down and staying in one place."

"Don't you want that one day, Britt? A wife or a family?"

"I guess. I've never really thought about it. After my mom passed away, I realized life is too short and I want to be able to experience everything life has to offer in all parts of the world. I think it would be a little hard to have the family life if I was constantly traveling."

We lay in silence for a little before I decide to speak up. "Can I tell you something, Britt?"

"Of course."

"Medicine is not my true passion."

"So, why are you studying to be a doctor? Isn't that, like, expensive and a lot of years of school and stuff? Why would you go through all that if it's not something you really want?"

"Well, it's just the path I always saw myself on. My dad is a doctor and it just felt like the natural thing to do."

"Okay. How about this. What if your dad wasn't a doctor and you could do anything you wanted? What would it be?"

"I would start a music label. There was a time when I wanted to go to school for music but decided that was a pointless dream to have and let it go."

"Well, I think you should follow your dreams, Santana. Start a music label."

"Easier said than done, Britt."

"Think about it! You could call it DocLo Records, or something!"

"Yeah. That would be pretty awesome," I giggle. It's late and we should probably get some sleep. "Thanks for listening, Britt. I'm feeling tired."

"Anytime, San. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Britt."

I turn so that my back is facing her bed and close my eyes, dreaming of what my life would be if I threw everything I've worked so hard for all these years down the drain to truly follow my heart. What would my parents say? Would I be successful? Would I be happier? I would never know. Maybe in another lifetime.


	5. Confiding In You

**Read, enjoy, review, follow! :P**

 **Chapter 5: Confiding In You**

Surprisingly, I wake up the next morning before Brittany feeling completely refreshed. I look over to see what time it is and see it is only 8 am. I stand up and raise my arms over my head, feeling my elbows and neck popping into place after a good night's rest. I quickly wash up and put some clothes on, looking back towards Brittany and notice she hasn't moved, so I know she is still deeply asleep. I decide to head to the café up the street to get some coffee. At first, I think to see if Sugar or Puck want to join me but assume they are both asleep as well. As I exit the elevator and walk through the lobby, I hear my name being called from the front desk.

"Miss Lopez?" I immediately recognize the man from a couple of nights ago when we arrived in Switzerland. I roll my eyes and walk towards him.

"Yes?"

"We have a room available for you. I know this is your last night, but you are welcome to move your belongings as soon as the room is ready. They are having it cleaned as we speak."

I sigh, "Okay. Thank you. Can you call Room 647 when it's ready?"

"Yes, ma'am. Here are your keys to the room."

I thank him again, put the key in my purse, and continue toward the hotel entrance. As soon as I am outside, I'm met with the warmth of the shining sun and can already tell it's going to be a beautiful day. Maybe we can go back to the lake with everyone? I grab a coffee and get one for Brittany as well, and head back to our room.

"Lopez!" I hear as I walk back through the lobby. I turn and see Puck with a bagel in his hand.

"Hey, Puck. What are you doing up so early?"

"What, you don't think I'm capable of being a functioning human at this time?" He asks me, taking a bite out of his bagel.

I try to hide my laugh, "No, not really."

"Britt still asleep?"

"Yeah. I couldn't sleep anymore so I went to get some coffee." I take a sip hoping that it's had some time to cool down.

Puck nods and finishes his bagel. "Hey, so how was she yesterday?"

I look at him and see the concern in his eyes. "She was good. I honestly didn't know about her mom's birthday when I agreed to spend the day with her. I overheard her by the lake talking to her."

"Okay. Good. Glad she wasn't alone. Britt might seem like she is always happy but when it comes to her mom, you can see the sadness, even after all these years," he tells me. "So, what should we do today?" He asks, changing the subject.

"Think it's going to be a hot day, maybe we should head to the lake that Britt and I went to yesterday."

"I'm in. I'll let Sugar know."

We head back to our rooms to get ready for a day by the water. I enter our room and notice Brittany is no longer in bed. I step further in and hear the shower running in the bathroom. I set her coffee on the small table that separates the two beds and change into my bathing suit, quickly adding a t-shirt and shorts to cover up. I then make sure I have everything packed, hoping the room will be ready before we leave for the day. As the water turns off, the phone to our room rings and I answer immediately, knowing that it's either Puck or the front desk alerting me about my room.

"Hello?"

" _Hi, Miss Lopez? Your room is available."_

"Thank you," I tell him and hang up as Brittany comes out of the bathroom. I look up and see her smiling at me.

"Hey, where'd you go this morning?"

"I went to get coffee from the café we saw yesterday," I tell her and grab hers off the table. "I brought you one as well. I wasn't sure how you take your coffee. I can order milk or have sugar brought up from room service if you want. Try it first…"

"Hey," she cuts off my rambling and grabs the cup from my hands, which is still hot, thankfully. "This is perfect. Thank you."

I can't help but blush in embarrassment at my rambling but I'm able to put some words together. "You're welcome. I actually ran into Puck in the lobby. Think you're up for going by the lake again today? It's really warm out."

"Definitely! Let me just put my bathing suit on and I'll be ready to go." I nod and go back to packing. "Oh, who was on the phone?"

"Oh, my room is finally ready for me," I tell her sarcastically, with my back to her as I continue to fold some clothes. "They gave me the key already and told me they would call when it was ready so I can move my things over. I'm going to take my stuff before we head to the lake."

I turn to face her when I don't get an immediate response and I see her frowning. "I'm losing my roomie? That makes me sad."

I get up and sit next to her on the edge of her bed, nudging her with my elbow. "Cheer up, buttercup," I say, jokingly, with a wink. That gets her to smile and I mentally high-five myself.

"Need any help carrying your things over?" She asks.

"No, I should be okay. Why don't you finish getting ready while I take my bags? Meet you back here in 10 minutes?"

Luckily, my room was on the same floor as Brittany's, so I didn't have to lug my bags too far. I left everything by the door and went back to her room, hoping she was ready. I walk in, since I still had my key to her room, and see her sitting on the edge of her bed, patiently waiting.

"Ready?"

She nodded and we make our way downstairs to meet with the others. This time we decide to take a cab to the lake instead of renting bikes like we had yesterday. It was significantly hotter today and didn't want to exhaust ourselves with a long bike ride. The cab drops us off at the local market so we can grab a few things to eat and drink while we were at the lake and I notice that Brittany brought the blanket she had bought for our picnic. I smile thinking back to our day together, and how much it felt like a date. How much, the more time passed, that I wish it was a date.

"Wow. You guys weren't kidding. This lake is unlike anything I've ever seen!" Sugar said as we walk around to find the perfect spot to set up.

Everyone takes out the towel they brought to lay out on the grass. I can feel the sweat starting to form on my forehead from the heat wave Switzerland seems to be having today. I grab the bottom of my shirt to lift over my head and once the shirt is off, the sight in front of me almost makes my eyes bulge completely out of my head. Thankfully, no one is paying attention to me, everyone working on getting their own clothes off and into the lake to cool off but I can't seem to take my eyes off the exposed body in front of me.

Sugar's voice snaps me out of my trance and I quickly close my mouth, hoping no one saw the state I was in because that would just be embarrassing. Yeah. I'm flustered. "Britt, can you put some sunscreen on my back?" Sugar asks.

"Yeah!"

I try and keep my head down, not wanting to get caught staring at her perfectly long and toned legs and her perfectly shaped abs and, oh man, her perfectly shaped breasts, and...

"Santana!"

"Huh? Yeah. What?" I avert my eyes to Brittany who is just watching me with a confused look, holding out the sunscreen bottle in my direction.

"I asked if you could put some sunscreen on my back?" She repeats with a smirk.

My eyes widen and I freeze. I start to feel my heart race and hands clam up.

"Uh-huh." I barely mutter.

Great. Back to being a stuttering buffoon. I thank whoever is above that my body decides to actually work and I grab the bottle from Brittany's hand. I squeeze some lotion in my palms and rub it between my hands to warm it up before slowly reaching toward her back. I hesitate and can feel my heartbeat not slowing any time soon. I start high up on her shoulder blades and start to make my way to her mid-back, just above her bikini strap. I can feel her muscles tense and relax under my touch as I continue to rub the lotion in so that there aren't any white streaks left. I then start to go even lower so that I am just above her butt and moving over her back dimples. Damn, those are sexy.

"All done," I say slowly, making sure my voice doesn't crack or do anything weird.

"Thank you. Need me to help you?" She asks so innocently and I feel the blood drain from my face. Sure, applying the lotion on Brittany is one thing, but the idea of having her hands all over me? I don't think I can survive that. Plus, I'm not one for sunscreen. My skin doesn't really burn.

"Yeah. That would be great." Wait, what? I am such an idiot. I was supposed to kindly decline!

"Okay. Turn around," I hear her giggle as I slowly turn, thankful she can't see my face anymore.

I prepare myself for the second her hands land on my skin, hoping that my body doesn't react in a way that would be obvious to Brittany. She starts in the same area I did for her, on my shoulder blades, and like me, makes her way down to my mid-back, right above the string. She doesn't hesitate and makes her way lower and continues to rub the lotion into my skin. Without realizing, I close my eyes and as her hands travel even lower, I let out a low moan and quickly snap my eyes open. Fuck. I really hope she didn't hear that. Her movements don't stop, so I start to calm down, assuming she didn't. Her hands move a little lower and toward my hips when I feel her put a little more pressure, almost grabbing them and suddenly feel her front side pressed against me as she whispers in my ear, "I know. I'm really good with my hands."

My eyes go wide again as I stand frozen in place. I feel her back away from me and taps me on my shoulder, "Come on. Let's cool off," she says with a wink. She totally heard the moan and wait, is she flirting with me? I run my finger through my hair and take a deep breath. This is going to be a long day.

Puck and Sugar are already in the water and I see Brittany not too far behind them. When I finally get my brain and body on the same page, I start making my way to the lake as well.

"Damn, Lopez! Lookin' good," Puck shouts in my direction with a smirk.

I blush at the compliment. I know I have a nice body. I do make sure to keep in shape but I am not used to others noticing. The water feels amazing. If I am being honest, I am not sure if I am cooling down because of the heat or from Brittany's comments from a few minutes ago, but regardless the chill water was much needed. I see Puck run back toward our things and come back with four beer cans in his hand.

"Can I interest anyone in a cold beverage?"

"Yes!" Sugar and Brittany both say in unison.

"Lopez?" He directs his attention to me.

"Sure, thanks." I grab the beer from his hand as he gets back into the lake.

"Cheers to a beautiful day spent with beautiful people. This marks the halfway point of this trip and I honestly wouldn't have wanted to do this with anyone else!" Brittany says as she lifts her drink in a toast.

"How many days until we're in Amsterdam?" Puck asks.

"Um, I think that's next week," I tell them.

"Ready to smoke, Lopez?"

"I wasn't really planning on it," I tell him shyly.

"Aw, come on! If you're ever going to do it, that's the place!"

"He's right, San," Brittany says next to me.

"I'll think about it," I tell them truthfully.

"So, who's up for a game of chicken? Me and Sugar against you and Brittany. Up for the challenge?"

"You are so going to lose, Puckerman," Brittany tells him with confidence. She turns to me as Sugar and Puck turn away from us, I assume discussing a strategy to win. "You can get on my shoulders. Just hold on and don't let go."

I nod and she goes underwater so I can get on her shoulders. I feel strong hands grip my thigh as she stands up out of the water. I lock my feet behind her back as best I can, trying to get the strongest grip.

"Hey, San?" I look down toward her. "Can you move the hair out of my face?" I start laughing once I notice that her hair is completely covering her face and because of the tight hold she has of my legs, she can't move it herself. Once we are all settled, we turn towards Puck and Sugar, who is now on Puck's shoulders, ready to go.

"Okay, ready?" Puck says. "Fight!"

I feel Brittany lean in toward the other pair so I can reach Sugar. I immediately go for her shoulders as she tries to go for mine. Brittany does not let her grip go for anything and I start to feel Sugar leaning back but at the same time I notice Brittany trip for a second and Sugar takes advantage of our weak position and starts to push me backward. I feel myself going back but Brittany re-establishes her stance.

"I got you, San!" Brittany yells in encouragement as I go back in for the attack. Suddenly, I feel Brittany dip low enough and I wonder what she is doing but decide not to look so my attention stays on Sugar.

"What the hell, Britt!" I hear Puck yell while laughing and I look down and see that Brittany is gathering water in her mouth and spitting it in his face to distract him and with that I reach for Sugar one last time and yank her down toward the water and off of Puck's shoulders.

"Hell yeah! We won!" I exclaim raising my hands in the air in victory.

"What happened, Puck?" Sugar asks as she resurfaces from underwater.

"Britt was spitting water in my face. What was I supposed to do? It went in my eye!"

I feel Brittany tap on my thighs as her grip loosens. "Ready, San?"

"For what?" And before she answers, she launches me backward and into the water. I come out of the water in shock and see Brittany holding her hand over her mouth, trying to contain her laughter.

"You are so going down, Pierce!" I say as I start splashing her with water. I continue through her screams as she starts to retaliate. I have my eyes closed as I keep splashing water and suddenly I feel strong arms around me, blocking me from continuing my revenge.

"Truce?" She gives me a sweet smile and I get lost in her embrace.

"Truce."

"Pinky promise?" She says as she removes one arm from around me and raises her pinky in front of my face, waiting for me to make the promise.

"Pinky promise," I tell her with a sincere smile. We keep our pinkies interlocked and suddenly everything and everyone around us goes blank, as I find myself getting lost in those piercing blue eyes once again.

I hear Sugar clear her throat and we both snap our heads to her, realizing we are not alone.

"Puck went to grab us another beer," she tells us and I see Brittany nod before she swims past her.

"So, you're crushing on Britt?" Sugar shocks me with her question but I try not to show it.

"Huh? Me?"

"Yes. You. I thought I saw you staring at her the other day but I wasn't sure, but after that cuteness overload that just unfolded in front of me, it suddenly all makes sense."

"I honestly don't know what you're talking about," I tell her. Deny. Deny. Deny.

"Okay, whatever you say!" She teases and thankfully drops the subject just as Puck comes back with four more beers.

The rest of the day is filled with more drinks, soaking up the sun and thankfully, no more flirting, since now I noticed Sugar's eyes lingering more on us. As the sun starts to set, we pack up and head back to the hotel for our last night in Switzerland. We all decide to split up, each one of us wanting to do different things. I head up to my room and take a quick shower and put on some comfortable sweatpants and a loose t-shirt, throwing my wet hair into a messy bun and slipping on my glasses, not wanting to deal with my contacts. I get comfortable on my freshly made bed and spread out all my study material in front of me before calling room service for something to eat. About thirty minutes later, I hear the knock at my door and jump up, knowing it is my food. I grab some money to tip the delivery man but when I open the door I'm met with a surprise.

"You ordered food, ma'am?"

"Britt, what are you doing here? And why do you have my food?" I laugh as she holds the tray of food in front of her.

"Well, honestly, I was really bored, so I went to see what Puck was up to, but he said he was going to head to the bar, which in Puck terms means find a chick to bring back to his room. Then I went to see Sugar and she was going to sleep early tonight, so I decided to see what you're up to!"

"Oh, so I am your last resort, huh?" I tease her with a smirk as I cross my arms over my chest and lean against the doorway.

"No! You were my first choice actually, but I didn't want to bother you and didn't know if you wanted some time alone. I mean we did share a room for two nights, figured maybe you got sick of me," she says softly as I notice her cheeks turn a light shade of red.

"You're not bothering me, Britt. I was just going to eat and study."

"Oh, am I interrupting you? I can go do my own thing. Sorry," she says and tries to turn around but I stop her.

"Stay."

"You sure?" I nod in response. "Okay, well I brought wine! Interested?"

"Definitely!"

I open the door more and step away from the doorway so she can come in. She sets my food on the table with the bottle of wine and I start to put my books away. I look up and see Brittany leaning against the table staring at me.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" I say as I start wiping at the non-existent stain on my face.

"No. But these glasses are hot. Like a nerdy hot. I dig it."

Now it's my turn to blush as I try to hide my face.

"So, are these all the boring books to become Dr. Lopez?"

"Yeah, kind of. I need to pass the entrance exam first in order to apply to medical school. I promised my dad I would study while I was here, but that hasn't really been going as planned," I shrug.

"Well, what do you think about taking one more night off?" she suggests with a raised eyebrow.

I pretend like I'm thinking about her offer, but know deep down that I will always choose spending time with her over studying, even if I do feel a little guilty. "Yeah, why not?" I say smiling. "Hungry?"

"Yeah, a bit."

"I ordered a burger, want to share with me?"

"Sure, thanks, San!"

We eat really fast, both of us hungrier than we thought and are now lying down on my bed.

"I'm so full!" I groan, regretting eating in record time.

"Me too! Should I open the wine?" I hum out a response and feel the bed move as she gets up to grab the bottle.

"Mm. This is good!"

"Yeah? Good. I wasn't sure what I was buying but the man at the store recommended it, so I bought two bottles."

"So…," I start as she takes another sip, "today was fun! Glad we actually were able to get into the lake this time."

"Yeah! Glad we went back. And we totally kicked ass with the chicken fight," she adds raising her hand up for a high-five.

"Hell yeah, we did. That was awesome. Nice strategy with the spitting, by the way."

"Thanks! I knew Puck would be easily distracted and end up letting Sugar go. He's a big baby."

We continue with random conversation as we polish off the first bottle and Brittany goes to open the second.

"What's your plan after this?" She asks me as I take a sip from my wine, starting the feel the effects of the alcohol creep up on me.

I shrug my shoulders, "Enjoy whatever is left of the summer and hope to get into Med School."

"So, still going for Doctor Lopez, huh?" She teases me.

"Yup. That's the plan. You know, it isn't as bad as you make it sound. I mean, sure, I have a lot of schooling ahead of me, but the end result will be worth it," I tell her.

"You sure about that?" I look down toward the glass in my hands and nod, not so convincingly. "You really think your parents would freak if you changed your mind?"

I sigh and look up at her, "I don't know. Sure, music is what I love but that isn't a career. This is." We are silent for a few moments before I try and switch the attention to her. "What about you? Will I be seeing you around Lima?"

"Don't count on it," she says quietly and takes a large gulp from her glass and goes to refill it to the top, again taking large sips till it's finished.

"Not going home?" I see her shake her head. "Why not?"

"Figured I would continue traveling, continue getting different footage for my portfolio."

"Oh, I see," I tell her, slightly disappointed. I wasn't expecting much, knowing that we would probably end up in different places with grad school but the thought of being back in Lima now that I am actually friends with Brittany, even if for a month, sounded exciting.

"Lima isn't that exciting, San," she jokes, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, I know," I say and look into her eyes, hoping my next sentence doesn't sound inappropriate. "But don't you miss your dad?" I notice her tense at my question. "Sorry, you don't have to answer that. Of course, you miss your dad. It isn't my place to ask you something like that. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she says quietly and I notice her eyes look sad. "I do miss my dad, a lot. But it's just hard to be home right now, that's all," she adds and chugs the rest of her wine and immediately begins to pour another glass. She starts to drink that quickly as well and I can see the alcohol slowly creep up on her, her eyes slightly glossier than before. She takes a deep breath and starts to speak again. "My dad started seeing someone six months ago," she says, her voice shaky and quiet. "I haven't met her yet, not because I haven't had the opportunity. I've kind of avoided going home since finding out. It was pretty easy to do while I was in school in LA, but now that it's summer, it's a little harder to come up with an excuse without hurting his feelings."

"I'm sorry, Britt," I tell her genuinely.

"It's just, I don't understand! How can he just forget about her like that?" I can see she is starting to get angry but the sadness still evident in her voice. "I don't want to meet her, ever."

"Britt, you don't have to meet her unless you are ready. Have you talked to your dad about how you are feeling?"

"No, he wouldn't understand. He never talks about her, never wants to. For years, I tried. I always would bring her up just to keep her memory alive but he would shut down every time." I see a tear fall down her face and lean forward to wipe it with my thumb. "After a while, I stopped trying."

"Everyone deals with loss differently, Britt. Don't shut your dad out."

Her tears start to fall more so I scoot to her, grabbing her glass out of her hand to set on the table, before wrapping my arm around her, allowing her to cry into my shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she says through her tears. "It hurts, San. It really hurts. And I miss her so much. She was my best friend. Sometimes I feel so lost without her like I don't know where I'm going next and I try to imagine what she would tell me or what kind of advice she would give me."

"Shh, it's okay. Don't apologize, Britt." I continue to hold her as she cries. I can tell this is something she has held deep down inside of her for a while and the amount of wine she drank is not helping the situation, heightening all her feelings. All I can do is hold her and let her cry.

After holding her for a while, she starts to calm down, her sobs turning into small whimpers and then eventually completely stopping. The sound of her heavy breathing makes me believe that she's fallen asleep. We've been in the same position for a while and my left foot is completely numb because of the way I've been sitting this whole time. It seems like time stops with her in my arms.

As soon as I make the slightest movement, I feel her body tense up in my arms and she shoots her head up, tear stains covering her cheeks. "Sorry…" she says sheepishly.

"For what?"

"I came here to have some wine and hang out, which turned into a night of me crying, again, and then completely falling asleep on you. So, sorry," she tells me and before she can say anything else I reach over and slowly lift her chin so she is looking right into my eyes.

"Hey, never apologize for any of that. That's what friends are for, right?" I give her a smile, hoping to relieve the tension and relax when she smiles back and nods.

"Thanks, San. I should head back to my room, it's getting late," she says as she gets up to put her shoes on and makes her way to the door, with me close behind. I know I shouldn't feel disappointed at the fact that she needs to go back to her room, but I would love to just hold her all night, comforting her and being there for as anyway I can.

She goes to grab the handle but stops and turns to me, eyes glued to the floor as if she wants to say something but not sure if she should.

"What's up, Britt?" I ask her softly, silently encouraging her to say whatever is on her mind.

"Think I can stay here tonight?" She looks up slowly, I assume to see my reaction.

Without any hesitation, I nod, "Of course you can, B."

Thankfully, I am still feeling the effects of the wine to calm my nerves. My new room only came with one bed, so agreeing to have Brittany stay the night means sharing a bed. I grabbed another shirt for her to wear along with a clean pair of sweatpants which she took to the bathroom to change. I also quickly change while I'm left alone in the room and sit on the edge of the bed waiting for her.

"Thanks for letting me stay. I didn't want to be alone tonight," she whispers quietly as she sits next to me.

"You don't have to thank me, honestly. It's no problem. I know you missed me as a roomie," I wink and playfully nudge her, getting her to chuckle. "Want to get in?" I point toward the bed and see her nod. She stands up on the opposite side of me and I quickly turn off all the lights, except for the small lamp on the bedside table then start to pull back the covers, trying not to make this awkward. Two friends can share a bed. I share a bed with Quinn all the time!

We settle in, both our backs to each other, as I lean over to turn the lamp off, leaving us in darkness and silence. As I start to get comfortable, I feel the bed move, assuming she is also trying to find a better position to fall asleep. The room is silent and I suddenly hear a sniffle coming from the blonde lying beside me. I quickly turn so that I am facing her back, "You okay, Britt?"

She doesn't respond but I think I feel her nod her head.

"I just really miss her, San. It's been a tough couple of days for me," she says barely above a whisper. I keep my eyes on her, staying quiet, knowing the only way I could help is to just be here for her. Blame it on liquid courage but I shuffle my body closer to her enough to be able to wrap my arm around her waist, my face breathing in the sweet vanilla scent of her hair.

"I know, Britt," I whisper, giving her waste a squeeze so she knows I'm here for her and that it's okay to cry.

I hear her crying slow down to light sniffles as she pushes back into my embrace a little more. "Goodnight, San," she mumbles sleepily.

I smile as I hear her breathing become heavy, clear that she is asleep once again, in my arms. I hold her as tight as I can, enjoying this closeness for as long as it will last and find myself drifting to sleep with a cheesy smile plastered on my face. But before I give in to sleep, I lightly press my lips to her shoulder with the softest kiss, lingering for a second at the feel of her skin against my lips. "Goodnight, Britt. Sleep well."


	6. Let's Get High

**Almost at the half-way point! As always, read, follow, review and enjoy! :P**

 **Chapter** **6: Let's Get High**

 _Beep, Beep, Beep_

 _Beep, Beep, Beep_

"Mmmmm," I groan as the beeping noise gets louder.

 _Beep, Beep, Beep_

After the third beep, I'm pulled out of my sleep and barely open one eye to see where it's coming from. As I become more alert, I realize that the sound is my alarm and quickly pat around the side table to find it and turn it off as fast as I can, not wanting to hear the annoying buzzing sound again. I sigh and roll back over, hoping to go back to sleep, when suddenly I remember exactly who I went to sleep next to, well actually, who I went to sleep holding and that's when my eyes snap open in panic. But when I look, I'm met with an empty bed and cold sheets, so I look toward the bathroom to see if maybe that's where she is but the door is wide open. Brittany is gone. I sit up and brush my fingers through my hair, feeling disappointed that she isn't here anymore. I start to freak out as my heart rate increases and my throat go dry. Did she hear me last night? Maybe she wasn't really asleep? Shit, she felt me kiss her and she totally freaked out and left, and now it's going to be awkward. Wonderful. This day couldn't have started any worse. And now we're going to be stuck on another train ride for too many hours as we head to Munich.

Feeling anxious, I decide it's best if I get up and distract myself in any way I can, so I start packing up the room, although there isn't much to do since I just got this room yesterday but regardless, I continue to make sure I haven't left anything behind and get ready for a day of traveling and take a quick shower, hoping to calm myself down, at least a little bit. The shower honestly just makes things worse as my mind wanders and I start creating different scenarios in my head as to what could have made her leave before I woke up. Knowing I've delayed meeting up with the rest of the group as much as I can, I grab my luggage and start to head to the lobby. I'm beyond thankful that I don't run into Brittany on our floor or that I don't get stuck with her in the elevator. Talk about awkward. I make my way toward the entrance of the hotel and see that most of our group is already out there waiting for the bus to take us to the train station. I look around and see Sugar, Puck, and Brittany standing there, none of them noticing me. I decide that at that moment, to pretend like nothing happened last night and hopefully the rest of this trip is not ruined.

"Hey, guys!" I say a little too enthusiastically.

"Hey, Lopez! Ready to ditch this place?"

"I actually really liked Switzerland," I shrug my shoulders and do anything to avoid eye contact with Brittany, who's strong stare I can feel burning a hole in my face.

Thankfully the bus arrives at that moment and we start making our way towards it. I'm behind Sugar and Puck and as soon as I am about to get on, I feel someone grab my arm. I look behind and see Brittany and stop to see what she wants.

"What's up?" I say as I try and keep my voice calm and level.

"I know you told me to stop saying it but I just wanted to say thank you again for last night," she tells me, her voice soft and delicate. "Also, sorry if you think I ditched you this morning, I really had to get my room in order before we left today."

I try to act like I didn't expect her to be there in the morning, or that I didn't wish we were tangled in bed, holding each other. "No problem, Britt. You don't have to apologize." I give her a small smile and turn back around to get on the bus.

The bus ride to the train station is short, thankfully because even though Brittany apologized, and even though she really didn't have anything to apologize for, I just need a minute to not be around her. I shouldn't be this disappointed that she wasn't there in the morning. It's not like we're in a relationship. We haven't done anything and as far as Brittany is concerned, we are just friends. It's the crap in my head and just being around this girl that is making me crazy.

Once we arrive at the train station, I am even happier to find that my seat is next to Sugar. I'm not sure how she does it, but she always seems to be able to find alcohol, no matter what situation she's put in, and in this case, I am definitely not complaining.

"Cheers, bitch!"

"Cheers," I say as I giggle and take a sip of the chilled champagne that was brought to our seats just moments ago.

"I'm shocked Britt didn't try and switch seats with me. You guys seem like you've gotten really close over the past week."

I clear my throat, clearly not used to Sugar's bluntness quiet yet. "Um, yeah we have," I say vaguely, trying to avoid the inevitable conversation, knowing Sugar is on to my not-so-subtle feelings for Brittany.

But being who she is, she turns in her seat, tucking her legs under her and takes another sip of her champagne, giving me a pointed look, like she knows there is more than I am leading on. I see her look over her shoulder and then back at me, "Come on. Talk to me. Britt and Puck are like 5 rows behind us, they can't see _or_ hear us."

"I'm not sure what you want me to say," I shrug, continuing to be stubborn and slightly in denial. I mean, the second I say it out loud and especially to Brittany's best friend, everything becomes real and I don't even know what I am feeling to deal with whatever will come of this conversation.

"Well, how about we start with you admitting that you might have a crush on her?" I keep my gaze on her eyes and can see the smirk on her face, not that she is trying to hide it.

"Maybe. No. I don't know," I sigh in frustration. "I don't know what I'm feeling. Is it a crush? Yeah, maybe! I do know that I like spending time with her and she makes me want to break out of this perfect rule-following girl that I've been my whole life."

Sugar doesn't say anything, just continues to look at me intently, waiting for me to continue. "It's crazy, right? Like I have all these feelings as if I've known her my whole life. I mean, yeah, we all went to high school together, but let's be honest, none of us were actually friends back then."

"Just because you feel like things are happening fast in your head, doesn't mean it's wrong, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. There's also the fact that I don't think Brittany has any of the same thoughts about me that I do about her. Sure, I think she's flirted with me on a few occasions and she's opened up to me a lot but that doesn't mean anything. Plus, I don't want to ruin our friendship that we are building," I continue to ramble, trying to organize my thoughts, which are coming out more like word vomit.

"Want to know what I think?" I nod, wanting so desperately to get some helpful advice, especially if it's from one of her best friends. "I think you should flirt back. Feel her out. If I know Brittany like I think I do, the girl definitely finds you attractive and clearly enjoys your company just as much as you do. I've barely seen her this trip! She just always seems to want to be around you. Keep it casual and fun, this is supposed to be a fun trip. Maybe it's what you both need. Brittany might seem like she is a free soul, but deep down she needs that companionship, whether that becomes more than just friends or not."

I let Sugar's words sink in. She's right. I need to just get out of my stupid head and stop overthinking everything. I can't control every situation and just need to go with the flow and enjoy this time with her, no matter how much I want to just grab her and kiss the crap out of her, to feel how soft her lips would feel against mine.

"You're right. Thanks for the advice!" I smile and raise my glass as we down the rest of our drinks.

The remainder of the trip is filled with conversation, naps and some studying as we finally arrive in Munich. The next couple of days are spent in Munich which was more nature heavy than I expected. We go on a hike that has the most gorgeous views, and I can tell Brittany is really enjoying this part of the trip, able to get amazing footage along the way. After my talk with Sugar, I decide that I need to be a little more care-free especially when it comes to Brittany. Things with us don't change, to my relief, which makes me truly believe she never felt the soft kiss I placed on her shoulder that night in my room. Throughout the days, we share laughs as we did before and become even closer, her opening up more about her childhood and her mom, and I even notice that we playfully flirt with each other more. We don't have as much alone time as we did in the earlier part of this trip, but it's also nice to spend time with Sugar and Puck and become closer with them. After Munich, the group moves to Prague, which includes a Bohemian feast with amazing beer. To say we're all drunk is an understatement but Puck makes sure we enjoy every second of it. From Prague, we spend two days in Berlin which is a much more mellow schedule. We are able to have a day to explore by ourselves and decided to stick together while roaming the city.

It's early in the morning and we are yet again on another train but this time headed to Amsterdam. Puck is beyond excited to be finally going there that he actually is the first one up this morning and even grabs the three of us coffee.

"Okay. So, first things first, weed!"

I chuckle when I see Brittany rolling her eyes at his comment. "Really? You act like you've never smoked weed before."

"B, this is Amsterdam. It's different! Plus, Lopez is totally gonna get high for the first time, right?" He says as he nudges me. Now it's my turn to roll my eyes, which does not go unmissed by Puck. "Oh, come on! Don't back out now! "

"Who said I was backing out?"

"Hell yeah! We are going to get so high! What should we do first? I heard we can just walk into any coffee shop and they should have the goods."

"The goods?" Brittany says through a laugh while she shakes her head.

Another 6-hour train ride and we arrive in Amsterdam. After all these train rides, we've become a pro at passing the time. Sugar, of course, is once again able to get alcohol for us and we spend the time drinking and laughing and listening to Puck plan our weed binge through town.

It's not a shock that he is the first of the train, practically running and shoving past others to get off. The rest of us join him minutes later and head toward the hotel to get settled. Once everyone has changed and freshened up, we meet up in the lobby and head out into the city with Puck leading the pack.

"Over there!" He points to the first coffee shop he sees and picks up his pace as if it wasn't fast enough, and the three of us start to pick up our pace just to keep up.

He's like a kid in a candy shop. I walk in and decide to get a cup of coffee while I wait for them to get 'the good stuff', as Puck puts it. Twenty minutes later, we leave the coffee shop, Puck looking extremely satisfied with his purchase.

"Okay. Where to?" He asks as he looks to us.

"Park?" I suggest and everyone nods.

Since being in multiple different countries and cities over the past two weeks, it seems like we've gotten really good at knowing where to find certain places without a map. And with that, we find this small park and see an area that is less crowded, which is where we decide to hang out. Puck empties out the bag on the grass in front of him and I look to see the all the different things he actually bought. I see some weed that I assume we will smoke out of the piece he also purchased, as well as some rolled up joints. Yes, just because I've never smoked before doesn't mean I don't know the terminology or how it works, I did go to college and, regardless of what others think of me, I did attend some parties.

"So, since this is your first time, Lopez, would you do the honors of choosing?" He lifts up the joints with one hand and the piece with his other, "Which one?"

Since I have no idea what the difference actually is between the two, I choose the joint. "Joint."

"Good choice. Britt, start us off?" He hands her the joint and the lighter along with it and I watch Brittany light the joint and take a hit. I never thought I would find that attractive, but I'm pleasantly surprised at how turned on I am at this very moment. I watch her as she effortlessly inhales the smoke and holds it in her lungs for a second before she's exhaling.

"This is actually really good stuff," she says through a small cough. She takes one more, small hit and passes it off to Sugar, who then passes it to Puck.

"Yeah, it is!" He says as he exhales the smoke from his lungs. He takes one more hit and the next thing I know he is passing the joint to me. I take it not really knowing what to expect as I bring it closer to my lips. I'm about to bring it completely to my mouth when Brittany stops me.

"Careful on the first hit, San. Just take a small hit, feel it out so you don't cough too much. Coughing sucks, don't want your lungs and throat to feel like it's on fire."

I nod and continue as she instructed and take a really small hit, not small enough where I didn't even taste anything but small enough. I keep the smoke in a little, as I saw the others do and start to exhale slowly.

"So, what do you think?" Puck says with a sly smirk plastered firmly on his face.

"It's good. Don't really feel anything though," I tell him as I take another hit, inhaling a little longer than the first one. As I hold in the smoke, I feel the urge to cough and kind of choke as I try and exhale everything from my lungs and continue to cough a little. Sugar hands me some water and I look up at the others as they start laughing.

"Alright, Lopez! That was badass," Puck says as I take the joint and pass it back to Brittany. I mentally pat myself on the back. The rotation goes again and it comes back to me and I do the same thing I did last time, making sure to take two really good hits, a little annoyed that I'm not feeling anything. I still cough but nowhere near as much as I did the first time around. I pass it to Brittany and watch her take a rip from the joint, so fucking sexy, and that's when it all suddenly hits me.

It feels like my head is floating above my body and I get lost staring at her lips as she takes another hit. Everything feels like it's in slow motion like I'm watching those tacky hip hop music videos where some girl is smoking and there is a close-up shot of just her lips and the smoke escaping, except the girl, is Brittany. Best. Thing. Ever. I follow her hand as she passes it to Puck.

"Guys," I randomly blurt out. "Amsterdam is awesome." Everyone stares at me for what feels like hours and suddenly bursts out laughing.

"Fuck yeah, it is!" Puck yells. He puts the joint out as I lay back on the grass, my body feeling heavy but light at the same time. I get lost in my thoughts and forget where I am for a minute just thinking and thinking, about nothing in particular.

"What are thoughts? Like we have these thoughts and then we think them but it like never stops." I blurt out of nowhere as I stare up at the sky.

"Whoa, that's deep," I hear Sugar say next to me. It's silent for a second and that's when the most genius idea, or what I think is a genius idea at the time, comes to me and I shoot up to tell the rest of them.

"I figured it out! The thoughts are thunk by the thinkers!"

"What does that even mean?" Puck asks and I give him this look as if he's crazy for not understanding me.

"We have thoughts, right? And like, we are thinking them. So, we are the thinkers of our thoughts," I tell him as if this is the most factual and obvious thing. "So, basically, the thoughts are thunk by the thinkers!"

"Genius. Pure genius!" Brittany says. "San, your eyes are so blown right now!"

"What! They are? What does it look like?"

"Bloodshot. You're so high right now, aren't you?" She asks me.

"Is this what it feels like to be high?" I see her exaggeratedly nod. "I'm hungry."

The rest can't contain their laughter at my last comment and I look at them with wide eyes.

"Munchies!" Puck screams with a smile that says, 'I'm extremely proud of myself for getting you so high for the first time'.

"Also, my mouth is dry as shit. Like, I feel like I can drink a gallon of water in one breath right now," I say as I try and lick my lips to moisten my mouth.

Brittany hands me a water bottle and says, "Cottonmouth. Not the best side effect of smoking but you'll live." I take the bottle and literally chug the entire thing in seconds.

"Water is amazing!" I moan out as if I was stranded in a desert without water for three days. "How long will I feel like this?" I ask as I lay back down on my back.

"Not long. Then we can smoke more!"

"Chill out, Puck. Think we smoked enough for today. Any more and we won't do anything for the rest of the day," Sugar tells him. "Speaking of the rest of the day, let's go out tonight! I've heard the clubs here are insane."

"I'm down!" I couldn't believe I said that. Maybe stoned-me knows how to chill out and enjoy life. Whatever, I think I am way too high to worry about that. "How long have we been lying here? Feels like 6 hours!" I hear Brittany start giggling next to me and a little snort escape. "Oh my god! Did you just snort?" I start laughing so hard that my abs start to cramp.

"No! Yes? Shut up!" She chokes out as we all continue cracking up.

"Okay, stonies, let's go eat something before we head back to the hotel," Puck says as we get up quickly, everyone beyond starving at this point. I've never been so hungry in my life!

After we freshen up, and the high wears off, we head out to an early dinner. We find a place close to our hotel so we can have time to head back to the hotel to change for our night out, and so we have time to pre-drink, which according to Puck is necessary. I don't know if I'm still feeling the lingering effects of the weed but my meal is fucking delicious.

I shower and stare at my perfectly made bed with two different outfit choices spread out for tonight. One is a tight black dress that stops high on my thigh and the other is a tight skirt with a sheer top to go with it. As I continue to stare at my two options, not even pretending like I don't have Brittany and which one she would like better on my mind, I hear a knock at my door. I open to see Brittany standing there in the sexiest outfit. My eyes go straight to her feet which have a pair of simple black heels on them, and slowly start moving up her smooth, bare legs. She has a skirt on that barely covers her upper thighs and shows off her never-ending, perfectly toned legs. As my gaze continues I see the magenta colored tank top she has that is flawlessly tucked into the high waisted skirt that features the thinnest straps, revealing her smooth skin and long arms. I finally reach her face, her hair neatly pulled back into a ponytail that shows off her long neck and soft milky skin. Her eyes are the bluest I've ever seen, with the right amount of eyeliner coating her upper and lower lid finished off with perfectly curled lashes and a slight tint of blush. I swear she looks like the most perfect human being and I can't get myself to look away, her eyes staring straight into mine, unwavering.

"Hey! Almost ready?" She asks effectively breaking my stare.

"Uh, almost? Just trying to figure out what to wear. You look amazing, by the way," I tell her truthfully. "Wanna help?"

"Yeah!" She says enthusiastically as I let her into my room. She takes her heels off so she can move freely around my room while I get ready and looks at my outfit choices. I see her head move from each outfit, back and forth, and she finally points to the option she thinks is best. "That one!"

"Yeah. Good choice!" I smile as I grab the dress she picked and head to the bathroom. I quickly touch up my hair which I decide to leave down with the natural curl look and finish my make-up. I put the dress on and walk out of the bathroom and see Brittany sitting on the edge of my bed.

She looks up and I swear she was checking me out the same way I was moments ago when she got to my room.

"Damn. You look hot! Definitely a good choice," she says and I feel the heat rise in my cheeks.

"Thanks," I tell her a lot more timidly than I would have liked. "Are the rest ready?"

"Almost! Told them we would meet up in Puck's room to have a couple drinks before we go."

I nod and look through my purse, making sure I have everything I would need. I turn towards Brittany to let her know I'm ready when I see her pull out a joint.

She gives me a smirk as I eye the joint. "Took this from Puck earlier. Figured we could take a couple hits before going out. You interested?"

I hesitate at first but think quickly, _fuck it_ , _why not_? So, I nod as she lights it up. We take a couple of hits, just enough to feel it a little and head towards Puck's.

We are in the elevator since Puck's room is four floors up from ours when I start to feel the couple of hits we took to start to creep up. I'm leaning against the wall of the elevator and look over to see Brittany staring at me with glazed over eyes. I give her a pointed look to ask what she's staring at when her playful smile turns into a mischievous smirk.

"You really do look hot," she husks with a flirtatious smile that makes my entire body heat up.

"Thank you," I respond shyly. Her body starts to slide closer to me when the elevator doors open but she doesn't budge from her spot. I clear my throat and stand up straighter, motioning towards the entrance. "Shall we?"

"Mhm," she barely hums out and motions for me to exit first. "Ladies first!"

I laugh at her chivalry, "Why thank you, but you know, you're a lady as well?"

"Yes, but you're a pretty lady, so pretty ladies first," she adds with a wink as I walk out and start down the hall towards Puck's room.

"Damn ladies! I'm gonna look like a pimp walking in the club with the three of you!" Puck says when he opens the door. "Round of drinks before we head out?"

As our taxi pulls up to the club, I can already hear the loud music and I am quickly being dragged to the entrance by Brittany. This girl is must really be excited to dance. Puck, of course, insists that we head to the bar first to get a drink, and honestly, I'm glad he does. I have a feeling this is going to be a long night.

"Shots?" Pucks turns to ask us.

"Yes!" Sugar yells over the loud music.

"Cheers! To a great night we won't remember!" We all laugh at Puck's toast and take the chilled shot of vodka which goes down surprisingly smooth considering the fact that, up until this trip, I'm not much of a drinker.

"Let's dance!"

"You guys go ahead. I'm gonna hang by the bar for a little," Puck tells us, so us girls head to the dance floor.

The music is loud and the dance floor is crowded but we are able to squeeze through the different groups of people and find a spot close to the DJ. Brittany immediately starts moving, feeling the music completely through her body. It's mesmerizing to watch and I can't get myself to tear my eyes away from her movement until I feel someone nudge me in the arm.

"You're staring," she says with a knowing smirk, leaning into me so I'm the only that can hear her over the music. All I can do is just roll my eyes at her and try and get myself to snap out of yet again another 'Brittany-daze' and start dancing. We dance until our feet hurt and Sugar suggests we take a break and find Puck to get another drink. As we get closer to the bar, we see him talking, or flirting rather, with one of the bartenders.

"Hey ladies! This is Adrianna."

She gets us a round of shots and Sugar quickly gets another to follow that up with. I am definitely starting to feel the alcohol because that is the only explanation for my desperate need to want to dance. Puck joins us this time as well and we head back to the area closest to the DJ.

We're all dancing together in one big group and the alcohol helps loosen me up and I start dancing like nobody's watching. Sugar starts to dance with me playfully and I'm having a great time, giggling and over exaggerating grinding my butt into her when I turn and see Brittany dancing with another girl. Sure, I was dancing with Sugar but not like this. They are facing each other with their bodies so close, as they move in synch with each other and I feel the jealousy start to brew within me, even though, in reality, I have no right to be. This is the last thing I want to watch, and I know I have no right to act like a jealous girlfriend, and I certainly can't go over there and rip the girl off of Brittany, so I grab Sugar's hand without any explanation and drag her towards the bar.

"Four vodka shots, please!" I tell the bartender, quite aggressively.

As soon as the shots are put in front of me I grab two and hand them to Sugar as I down one myself, quickly followed by the second. I'm probably going to regret that in the morning, but I could care less at this moment. Sugar looks at me wide eyes in complete shock of my actions.

"Um, you good, San?" She asks.

"Yup," I tell her, shortly.

"So, the sudden urge to drag me to the bar had nothing to do with Brittany dancing with that cute girl?"

"Nope," I quickly say, trying to play it cool.

"You know, it doesn't mean anything. Brittany loves to dance and gets extremely friendly when she's drinking."

"I don't want to feel jealous, but I do! Ugh! This is so annoying. Help me!" Okay, maybe I'm being a little dramatic, but I'm just going to blame it on the ridiculous amounts of alcohol I have so uncharacteristically decided to consume tonight.

"Okay. Here's the plan. We're going to order two more shots and go back out there. Just have fun tonight."

"Yeah. Okay. I can do that."

We head back to the dance floor and I see Brittany has ditched the hoe and is dancing with Puck. Maybe that was harsh, I'm sure the girl was nice, but I'm drunk. I can't help but be happy to see she is no longer dancing with that girl. Brittany sees us and immediately wraps us both in a hug, screaming, "Where'd you guys go?"

"We went to have a drink!"

"Without us?" She says, with a playful pout. "Puck, bar! We have to catch up to these two who decided to get a drink without us," she follows with a wink in our direction.

It seems like they are gone forever, and in the meantime, Sugar and I start dancing with each other again, truly enjoying my night out when I feel a body press up close behind me and grab my waist, dancing in rhythm with us. My initial panic quickly turns into excitement when I turn my head to the side and see blonde hair and take in the scent that has become familiar to me. Brittany. I turn to look in front of me again and see Puck dancing the same way behind Sugar. From an outside perspective, it looks like four friends dancing together but internally, my heart is doing backflips at the feeling of having her pressed so close to my body.

Our bodies move in sync to the music and our movements become bolder. Her grip on my hips becomes stronger as she pulls me more into her body. The area around us becomes more crowded and we somehow get separated from Puck and Sugar. Her one hand moves from my hip and slips around my waist as my arm goes up and around her neck pulling her face closer to mine. I swear I felt her lips lightly graze my neck making my hold on hers even stronger. It must be the alcohol that makes me turn, bringing us face to face with no room between our bodies. My arms wrap around her and she holds me close as we continue to move to the music effortlessly. We continue like this, our eyes staying locked on each other when she leans in further to rest her forehead against mine and in one swift movement slips her leg between mine. I try to suppress the moan in my throat that is begging to be released as her leg starts to rub against me. Even with all these people around us, at this moment, I can't seem to be bothered and let myself get lost in all things Brittany. The way she moves against me causing just enough friction and the way her face looks, lust filled eyes with a slight layer of sweat starting to coat her forehead. Brittany pulls her head away from mine as she swipes my hair to the side and leans in, this time her lips clearly making contact with my skin as I throw my head back at the sudden turn of events. Her lips feel so soft and I can't help but think about how they would feel on my own but I can't get myself to make that move, plus Brittany seems to be taking control, much to my liking. I feel myself whimper when her lips detach from my neck but my disappointment is short lived when I open my eyes and see her staring back at me with pure lust. I instinctively lick my lips and part them as she looks down and back up at me, slowly leaning in, our bodies no longer moving. Her lips are so close to mine that I can almost feel them when my body is shoved abruptly into her, making her stumble backward while still holding onto me. I turn to see the crowd around us, the same crowd I forgot was there. _Great timing_ , _asshole_ , I think to myself and can't help but feel frustrated. She was so close to kissing me!

"You okay?" She asks as we both catch our bearings.

"Yeah. I'm good. Just some drunk guy," I stutter, thankful that the lights are off so she can't see my flushed face.

"There you guys are!"

We both snap our heads and see Puck and Sugar standing next to us. Sugar must notice the look on my face because she gives me a questioning look which I return with a small smile.

"Ready to head out?" Sugar asks us and we both nod. Brittany and I are no longer touching and I wish more than anything that nothing would've interrupted us. She was definitely going to kiss me, right?

We head out of the club, weaving through the crowd. I take in a huge breath as the fresh air fills my lungs. The cab ride back to the hotel is comfortably silent with Puck in the front and me sitting in the back between Sugar and Brittany. I look over to Brittany, who's leaning her head against the window with her eyes shut when Sugar puts her hand on mine and giving it a squeeze. I'm really glad that she is here with me, not only to help with Brittany but just as a friend.

Brittany and I are the first to get off the elevator since our rooms are on the same floor. We walk in silence towards my room, my body still buzzing from our dancing and ears still ringing from the music, as I take my key out of my purse. I know she is going to wait for me to be inside before she makes her way towards her own room so I turn toward her in front of my door and give her a smile which is immediately returned.

"I had a lot of fun tonight dancing with you, San," she says sweetly to me. "It's nice to dance with someone who can keep up," she teases.

"Me too, Britt," I chuckle at her comment, happy that she approved of my dancing skills.

We stand there in silence staring at each other for what feels like forever when I clear my throat. "We should get some sleep. Have a good night."

"Yeah. You too." She leans toward me and I feel my heart race. Oh my god. It's happening. She's going to kiss me. I close my eyes and start to lean into her as well when I feel the softens of her lips make contact with my cheek and as quickly as the kiss was there she is pulling away. "Sleep well, San."


	7. Ruin the Friendship

**Chapter 7: Ruin the Friendship**

Once I am safe behind the door, out of Brittany's sight, I let out a breath I didn't even realize I was holding. Why didn't she kiss me? We were finally alone, no interruptions. I mean, we were definitely on the verge of kissing in the club when we were dancing, so why wouldn't she now? My mind races of thoughts of what-ifs as I drift to sleep.

I wake up earlier than I would like considering the night we had and the amount of alcohol I consumed, and after spending a half hour rolling around in bed, I decide to get up and start the day which isn't the worst thing since we only have a few hours before we head out to London. Not even worrying if anyone else is awake, I take a quick shower and put on a t-shirt and shorts and leave the hotel to get something to eat. Traveling in a group has been an amazing experience and I feel myself coming out of my shell more and more as the days go on, but I still enjoy having time to myself, whether that involves spending time in my room or, in this case, exploring a new country. I never thought I would learn so much about myself when I was convinced, which to be honest did not take much, to go on this trip.

I find a café and sit at a table, ordering coffee and a croissant and really taking this time alone to think and reflect on my trip so far. I think about the new friendships I've created with Puck, Sugar and Brittany. Especially with Brittany. As cheesy as it is, I think we have all established a bond with each other that could last a lifetime. I would have never been friends with Sugar in high school, her being so outspoken and me being extremely introverted but I love the connection we've made. I can just imagine how well she would get along with Quinn. Puck is like the brother I never had. He's a big dork but deep-down cares so much about his friends and their well-being. He really is the jokester of our group dynamic. And then there's Brittany. I don't even know what to think about her. It feels like we have been friends since birth and I know there is so much more to learn from her but I can't help but smile and be thankful for everything she has done for me. I've really moved out of my comfort zone, all thanks to that girl. I know we still have over a week left of this trip, but I already feel sad at the thought of not seeing them every day.

I look at my watch and notice I've been gone for a while and know I should head back to pack my bags. As soon as I enter the lobby I hear my name being called.

"There you are!" Sugar says as she gets closer. "Where've you been? Brittany was knocking at your door for forever and was worried about you."

I don't even try to hide the smile that creeps on my face thinking about Brittany worrying about me. "I just went to get some coffee and breakfast. I was up early and figured you guys would still be asleep so I didn't want to bother anyone," I shrug.

"Oh. Well, we're all packed up but we don't leave for another two hours," she says. "I was just on my way out to pick up something to drink for the others."

"Okay. I'm gonna go to my room and finish getting my things together."

"Sounds good. I'll let Britt know you're okay," she tells me and we go our separate ways.

Packing doesn't take too long so I figure I can get some studying done since we don't have anything planned before we leave. I type out a quick email to Quinn giving her a little update about my trip and of course my lovely night out at the club, I'm sure she's going to freak out, and also send an email to my parents, letting them know I'm good and that we are headed to London. I'll have to give them a call when we get there.

The train ride is pretty smooth and the time flies by as we all talk about the previous night and how much fun we all had. I notice Brittany's eyes looking at me every so often and can see the softness behind them which I return with a small smile, trying not to blush. We all settle into our rooms and are now just hanging out in Sugars room figuring out what to do since our tours don't start until tomorrow.

"Hey," Brittany whispers next to me. Sugar and Puck are looking up things to do in the booklet that is left in the hotel on the couch and Brittany and I are on the bed watching TV. "I'm bored."

I raise my eyebrow at her and laugh. "Okay. How can we change that?"

She gives me a smirk. "Let's get out of here."

"Okay. Should we see what they 'd be up to do?"

"No." I look at her, confused. "Just me and you."

My heart skips a beat at her suggestion and I slowly nod which she returns immediately with a smile and jumps off the bed.

"Me and San are gonna go walk around a bit," she tells the other two who pop their head up from the book they're looking at.

"Oh! Where are we going?" Puck asks. I give Sugar a quick look, hoping she understands that Brittany wants to do something without them, and she definitely gets it. Did I mention how thankful I am to have Sugar on this trip?

"I could use a drink. Puck, let's find a pub and leave them to whatever boring thing they're gonna do," she quickly says and thankfully Puck goes along with it.

"So, what do you want to do?"

"How about the London Eye?" She suggests. I'm hesitant at first since I know that's a giant Ferris wheel and I am not the biggest fan of heights but I know that I won't be able to say no to her.

"Sure. Let's do it."

We get to the London Eye and I look up to see how high it really goes when my hands start to clam up but when I look over at Brittany, the excitement that is exuding from her calms me down a little and I start to feel excitement mix in with my fear. After standing in line for quite some time, it's finally our turn and we are directed into one of the pods with another group. She immediately grabs my hand and walks me over to the edge so we can have a view of the whole town as we lean against the railing. As we get higher and higher I can't help but feel the panic start to take over as try to avoid looking down at all costs and remembering to keep breathing. A hand on my lower back breaks me from my impending panic attack and when I focus my eyes up, I see Brittany standing extremely close to me with the softest reassuring smile. "It's okay. I'm right here," she whispers and as crazy as it seems, I immediately feel safer.

"You're really cute when you're nervous, you know that?" She tells me once we reach the top.

I roll my eyes and nudge her. "Yeah. It's so cute when I'm freaking out and sweating profusely because I'm afraid of heights."

She just shrugs. "Well, I think it's adorable," she says and wraps her arms around my waist pulling me closer to her as we both look out at the gorgeous view. It's as if my body has a mind of its own, and I feel myself relaxing further into her embrace and go to rest my head on her shoulder, letting out a sigh of relief. Damn, this feels good, so good and what's even scarier? It feels natural like it's something we've been doing for years. I know it's a simple gesture, but somewhere deep inside of me, I know it's so much more than what it seems.

"Hey, San?" I hum out a response, not wanting to move my head from her. "I'm really happy you decided to come on this trip."

"Me too, Britt."

After our moment on the London Eye, I can feel a lightness in our steps as we continue to roam the streets. We are just walking down random streets when Brittany stops and starts to make her way to a small pub.

"Look," she points to a sign at the entrance.

"You want to sing?" I ask, a little confused as to why she is excited about a place that has open mic nights.

"No…," she drags out. "But I would love to hear you sing," she says with a sweet smile. My eyes go wide as I immediately start to protest, shaking my head like a mad woman.

"Please! Please, San!" She begs as her lip pokes out and she gives me her best pout. Ugh, this girl and that pout. I can already feel myself cracking.

"I don't know, Britt. I haven't sung in front of a crowd since High School. I'm a little out of practice."

"Not possible. Please! This is the best place to do it! No one even knows you here, plus, I doubt you could be bad."

I think about it and even though I am nervous to sing again, I really do miss it and can't think of a reason not to. "Fine," I roll my eyes, pretending I'm annoyed.

"Yay!" She screams and pulls me into a tight hug, practically lifting me off the ground. "Let's sign you up!"

After signing me up, still feeling a little reluctant, we start to walk back to the hotel. Brittany is beyond excited and is practically running back to tell the others, dragging me along with her.

"Guys, guess what!" Brittany blurts out as soon as Sugar opens her door. "San signed up for an open mic tomorrow night!"

"What? Really? That's awesome! What are you going to sing?" Puck asks.

"I'm not sure yet. I have a couple of options." They all stare at me waiting for me to tell them what those options are, but I'm going to keep it to myself.

"So...," Brittany drags out. "What are your options?"

"It's a surprise," I shrug.

"Aw come on, San!"

"Nope. Sorry! Gonna have to wait and see," I tell her with a wink. "Speaking of, I'm gonna head to my room to practice and get some studying in. See you guys in the morning."

In truth, I have no idea what I'm going to sing. I start going through all the songs we sang in Glee Club but none of them seem appealing to me and I really want to impress Brittany and the others. Quinn will know. I'll have to give her a call in the morning for some help. I order room service and get to studying while I eat, trying not to think about tomorrow night. After a couple hours, I take a quick shower and get comfy in bed, flipping through the channels on the TV and end up falling asleep.

When I wake up I feel refreshed, glad that I was able to sleep in. I get some studying done before looking at the time to call Quinn.

" _Bitch!"_

"Well, hello to you too, Q."

" _You haven't called and the last thing I get from you is an email about an almost kiss. What the heck, S! It's rude to leave a girl hanging."_

"Sorry, I wanted to but we were on a train and then Brittany wanted to explore London and then this open mic thing kind of happened and..."

" _Open mic?"_

"Yeah. That's why I'm calling. I need your help."

" _That's awesome, San! But, wait, before I help, can we back up to the almost kiss?"_

I roll my eyes. Of course. I knew she wouldn't let me off the hook and of course, I want to talk to her about it but I'm kind of freaking out about tonight and I don't even have a song picked out yet. I tell her all about the night at the club, in detail, since I wasn't able to give much in my email and I just hear her squealing in the background the more I get into the story.

" _She so wants you!"_

"I don't know, Q. Maybe it was an 'in the moment' thing and we were drunk. But that's not important right now. I need you to help me pick a song to sing tonight."

" _Yes. Okay. Do you want something upbeat? Or something soulful. I mean, anything you sing is going to sound amazing. You_ _r voice is incredible._ _"_

"Thanks, Q. And I don't know. I thought about doing a song we've done in Glee, but they weren't that great and I'm definitely not singing any show tunes."

" _What, you mean you don't want to sing Journey?"_ She laughs.

"Ha. Funny. No Journey. I have a song in mind, but I don't know if it is too much."

" _What song?"_

I tell her the song choice I was thinking about and she absolutely loves it and convinces me it's the right choice. Now I just need to practice since I've never sung it before. I end up telling her about our day in London and how she was practically holding me while I completely lost it on the Ferris wheel and she is freaking out for me. She tells me about her summer in Lima and how much she misses me and can't wait to see me when I get home. After our phone call, I take a shower and hang out in my room, going over the song a few times till I think I have it down. We had a mid-day tour planned around London and the plan was to come back, freshen up and go to the pub for the open mic to have dinner and drinks.

I decide to go with something simple, as I pull on a pair of dark skinny jeans and couple it with a loose fitted top and comfortable flats. I leave my hair in its natural curls and apply light makeup. As the time approaches, I feel anxious and more nervous. I keep second guessing my song choice but know it's a little too late to change it now. We meet up in the lobby and start making our way towards the pub. We are seated at a table and order some drinks and food while we wait.

"You nervous?" Brittany whispers from her seat next to me. I look up to see Sugar and Puck lost in conversation, arguing about who can chug their beer faster. I turn my attention back to Brittany and just shrug.

"A little."

"Don't be. If you feel nervous, just look for me in the crowd and focus on me," she suggests sweetly with a warm smile, placing her hand on my thigh under the table, reassuringly.

"Thanks."

After we finish our meal, the owner of the pub comes up to me and lets me know that I'll be going last, out of the seven people who have signed up. Great. That means I get to sit here and freak out as each person gets up to sing before me. The first two are actually really good, the first singing an acoustic version of 'Crazy In Love' by Beyoncé and the second a song I hadn't heard before. I grab another beer from the bar to try and calm my nerves down as the next few singers perform on the little stage in the center of the room. Time is flying by as the last performer is introduced. Fuck, I'm next. I don't even pay attention to them singing, getting lost in my head, going over the song over and over, considering just running out the front door and never coming back. I'm about to get up to use the restroom when I hear the crowd applaud the final performer. Shit. My turn. Here goes nothing.

"Joining us from America, we have our last performer of the night. Before I introduce her, I would just like to say a huge thank you to those that have signed up and don't forget next week, same time, for those who are interested! And now, Santana Lopez!"

I stand up on wobbly feet and make my way to the stage, which has a stool, microphone, and guitar set up for those who wanted to play. I hear Brittany, Sugar, and Puck cheering and clapping as my name is announced. Not really hard to spot them at our table, seeing as the place has a total of maybe ten tables.

It's funny, after performing with the Glee Club for four years, you would think I wouldn't get stage fright but to be on stage alone in an intimate setting is completely different. I take one last sip of my beer before setting it down on the small table behind me and go to adjust the mic stand so it fits my height as I take my spot on the stool. I clear my throat before introducing myself.

"Hi, everyone. My name is Santana. Hope you guys enjoy!" I say, my voice shaking a little at the end.

 _Breathe_.

" _Put down your cigar and pick me up  
_ _Play my guitar, that song I love  
_ _Thirsty for your love, fill my cup  
_ _I got only good intentions, so give me your attention"_

I sing the first verse and with each line, I feel my voice getting stronger and surer of itself. I haven't looked over at our table yet, not feeling bold enough to make eye contact with any of them to see their reaction.

" _You're only brave in the moonlight  
_ _So why don't you stay 'til sunrise  
_ _Your body's looking good tonight  
_ _I'm thinking we should cross the line  
_ _Let's ruin the friendship, let's ruin the friendship  
_ _Do all the things on our minds  
_ _What's taking us all this time  
_ _Let's ruin the friendship, let's ruin the friendship"_

I finish the chorus and take a breath before continuing the songs' next verse.

" _Baby, you and I got history  
_ _And we can't deny our chemistry  
_ _So why the fuck are we a mystery?  
_ _Let's just go with the connection, give me your affection_

 _You're only brave in the moonlight  
_ _So why don't you stay 'til sunrise?"_

At this part, my gaze wanders to Brittany and our eyes lock and I can't seem to get a read on her face. I start to panic, knowing this was a bold choice of song and should have never let Quinn convince me to sing it. Why do I always listen to her? I know I'm freaking out, but I need to finish the song, I can't embarrass myself and honestly, besides the look on Brittany's face, I know I sound good and the feeling of being on stage and singing again feels amazing.

" _Your body's looking good tonight  
_ _I'm thinking we should cross the line  
_ _Let's ruin the friendship, let's ruin the friendship  
_ _Do all the things on our minds  
_ _What's taking us all this time  
_ _Let's ruin the friendship, let's ruin the friendship"_

As I finish the song, I feel my heart pounding, the adrenaline pumping through my body, the same feeling of satisfaction coming over me that I've missed so much about performing. I open my eyes and look out into the crowd, "Thank you."

Everyone is clapping and I hear a loud whistle, looking toward our table and of course, there's Puck, cheering me on along with the others. I give them a huge smile and let out a sigh of relief, happy that everyone enjoyed it. I make my way back to the table and am immediately wrapped up in a hug by Sugar.

"That was so awesome! Great choice, by the way," she praises me as she speaks in my ear through the hug and pulls away giving me a knowing smirk.

"Seriously. That was a hot song, Lopez," Puck adds and gives me a high five.

"Yeah. You were incredible, San," Brittany finally speaks, her face looking a little flushed.

"Thank you," I respond shyly. "I really need a drink! The adrenaline of being up there has my body buzzing," I chuckle and look toward the bar. "On me!"

We enjoy the rest of the night, still getting praise from the others about my performance. I keep sneaking glances at Brittany, since she is quieter than usual and I see her playing with the straw in her drink, looking deep in thought. I want to ask her what she's thinking about but don't want to draw attention to her with the others still with us. The walk back to the hotel is nice and I still feel the high, not sure how I'm going to fall asleep tonight. We all say goodnight and head to our rooms, immediately hopping in the shower. I put on sweats and a t-shirt, throwing my hair up in a messy bun when I send Quinn a quick email letting her know that the song went perfectly and that I would call her the first chance I got. Turning on the TV, I get cozy in bed and let my mind wander back to tonight. Singing again just solidified how much I love music. I just wish I could tell my parents that and switch my focus to music instead of Med School. Don't get me wrong, I still love medicine but I don't know if that is going to make me happy for the rest of my life. I sigh, thoughts of my future running through my mind when I hear a knock at my door. I look towards the sound, eyebrows raised in confusion of who it could be.

I open the door and standing in front of me is Brittany, looking a little flustered and surprised, which I found out since she's the one who came to my room.

"Hey, Britt. What's up?"

She doesn't respond immediately, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, with a contemplative look on her face. She makes eye contact with me, takes a deep breath and surges forward taking me by surprise. Cupping my face, she pulls me into her and latches her lips onto mine. Her sudden action causes the air to rip out of my lungs and it feels like I can't breathe, my eyes wide in surprise. Her lips are on mine and the shock takes over as I stand there frozen. It only takes a second for my brain to catch up to what's going on, as I close my eyes and start to move my lips against hers. As quick as her lips are on mine they are gone, her hands still holding my face in place. Our eyes move from one to the other, hers searching for any sign of regret in mine. I will my body to move, speak, anything to let her know that I am definitely okay with what she just did and want more when I feel that adrenaline I was feeling from earlier rush through me, so I do the only thing I've been craving to do for the last few weeks and crash our lips back together.

We are moving in perfect unison, and I can't help but think that this is the best kiss I have ever had, like literally, best kiss ever and damn, I never want it to end. My hands go to her hips to hold myself in place, feeling like I'm going to pass out. She tilts her head to the side slightly parting her lips, inviting my tongue in to massage hers and the second they touch, a moan escapes from my mouth. Holy shit. She tastes amazing. I can't believe this is happening right now. I don't even know what is happening, my mind is so jumbled but I don't even care, because this kiss, well, this kiss is everything.

Our bodies start moving past the entrance and further into my room, our lips never parting for a second, our hands still locked on each other. We bump into the dresser that is off to the side that holds the TV, but neither of us seems to notice and I feel her guiding my body when the back of my legs hit the bed, making me squeal in shock. Brittany hears this and pulls away, staring deep in my eyes, again searching for any sign that would indicate I want this to stop. _Absolutely not_! I give her a reassuring smile, not finding the need for words because at this moment it seems like everything is being spoken through our eyes and touch. She throws a smirk in my direction and lightly pushes against my shoulders, silently asking me to sit on the edge of the bed. I sit and I see her hands move to the edge of her shirt, her actions becoming surer as she pulls it over her head in one swift motion. My eyes bulge out of my head at the sight in front me, her perfectly toned stomach and smooth skin that I can't wait to explore, exposed for me. "Brittany," I sigh and look up at her. I can't wait any longer and grab her hand pulling her down so she is face to face with me, reconnecting our lips for a much-needed kiss, this one becoming more and more heated as our lips glide against each other, tongues moving in and out.

She moves to straddle my hips, my hold on her never weakening as her kisses move from my lips to my jaw and down my neck. _God, this feels fucking amazing._ The feel of her warm skin under my fingertips makes the heat rise in my body and I want more, I _need_ more. I pull my hands away from her body, moving them to the edge of my shirt and pull it off. I see Brittany looking down and taking in the sight in front of her, her eyes turning a deep blue as I realize my chest is bare, never bothering to put on a bra on earlier. Her movements stop, eyes quickly moving between my face and my chest, hers rising and falling with every breath and eyes filled with lust. I giggle and she shoots me a look, knowing she is caught leering. This girl is so fucking cute and sexy at the same time!

I slowly drag my fingers across her rib cage and wrap them behind her back, keeping my gaze on her the entire time as I unlatch her bra clasp and slowly slide each strap down her arms, letting the material fall from her body exposing beautiful pink nipples. How is she so perfect? I let out a soft groan as I hungrily latch on to her chest, licking and sucking as if my life depends on it. Her skin tastes intoxicating, a mix of vanilla and sweat swirling around on my tongue every time I take her pert nipple into my mouth. A moan escapes her swollen lips as her head falls back in pleasure. I have never heard such a delicious sound in my life and continue to lavish her chest, just to hear it over and over again, her hands moving and pulling against my hair. But I can tell she wants more as well, moving one hand to my chest and pulling my head closer to hers with her other as she grinds down into my lap.

In one swift movement, I grab ahold of her hips and pick her up, her legs wrapping around my waist as I turn and lay us on the bed, my body finding its place on top of hers and my lips latching on to her neck, kissing all available skin with open-mouthed kisses.

"Ungh," she moans breathlessly, pushing me to continue my assault on her neck, sucking lightly on her pulse point. I am so turned on right now and need a little relief, not wanting to explode before I even have a chance to get her completely naked, so I grind my hips into hers, our clothed centers rubbing together as I move my kisses to her collarbone, then between her chests. I start trailing kisses down her body as I loop my fingers into the waistline of her leggings and start to tug them down her long legs, continuing to leave a path of kisses down her exposed thighs all the way to her ankles. After I have rid her of her pants, I stand up at the edge of the bed swiftly ridding myself of mine and quickly resuming my spot on top of her now mostly exposed body.

She immediately wraps her legs around my waist again as I settle further between her, and in one motion is flipping our positions so that I am on my back. I let out an involuntary squeak, shocked at her strength as our chests make contact again. She starts kissing down my body at a painfully slow pace and reaches the spot right below my belly button so close to where I crave her most. Lips never detaching from my skin, she drags the last remaining layer of clothing left on me as I lie completely exposed, her eyes widening and softening immediately.

"So hot," she lets out as she takes her lower lip between her teeth.

She kicks off her underwear and is back on me, both of us finally completely exposed as we start moving perfectly together, hands wandering, desperate to touch every part of each other's bodies. My legs naturally part wider as her fingertips drag from my knee, up my thigh and so close to exactly where I need her.

"Ugh, please, Britt." I moan and she gives in, as I feel her finger graze over my sensitive center, making sure to pay close attention to it as she circles it over and over, adding more pressure each time. She moves further down parting my folds as she gathers the wetness but never low enough to reach the one area where I desperately yearn for her to enter.

"You're so wet, San," she breathes seductively into my ear as my hips buck up into her hand.

"Mmmm," I groan out in response as my nails dig into her back. Her fingers continue their journey, as she lifts her head to look into my eyes, smiling warmly, our breaths uneven, as she slowly enters me with a single digit and I swear my eyes roll in the back of my head. She moves in and out a few times before adding a second finger as she latches onto my erect nipple, her other arm holding my body close. I already feel like I'm going to explode because this is literally the best feeling, her fingers so slender and long reaching the perfect spot deep inside of me.

"Yes, _uh,_ right there," I moan out.

I hear her groan out from her spot on my chest as she continues to move inside me, my hips meeting each thrust. Her kisses move further down my body until her lips are sucking on my clit, her rhythm never wavering, curling her fingers and oh God, I know I'm not going to last much longer.

"Oh, _uh_ , Britt," I barely get out. "Ha-harder, please." And she does. She is pumping in and out of me hard, hitting that spot deep inside perfectly each time as I feel my impending orgasm just seconds away from exploding all over her hand.

"Don't stop. Do-don't stop." And she doesn't and then it happens. My body starts to shake below her as her movements never cease, helping me ride out the most intense orgasm I have ever experienced. Her fingers slip out as she moves her tongue up and down my folds, lapping up all that my body offers as I finally start to come down. My eyes are still closed as she stops and makes her way up my body, not even hesitating to take my lips in hers.

"Ungh," I moan, tasting myself on her tongue for the first time. Our kisses are slow as we catch our breath.

"Wow," is all I can say when she pulls away, eliciting a giggle from the blonde who just, literally, rocked my fucking world.

"Mhm, wow is right," she adds, still giggling softly as I join in, moving off of me and lying on her back in the spot next to me. I turn my head to the side to meet her gaze and let out a satisfying sigh. What an incredible night, and even though she wore me out, I can't wait to return the favor. I quickly muster up any remaining energy, still very much turned on and flip so that I am on top of her, giving her a quick smirk. "Your turn," I husk as I crash our lips together.

 **Review, review, review! :P**

 **Also, currently working on a sequel! :0**


	8. Aftermath

**Happy Sunday! Read, follow, review! : )**

 **Chapter 8: Aftermath**

When I open my eyes, something feels different. Even with the window shades closed, I can tell the sun is barely starting to rise, and I groan, knowing it's probably very early in the morning. I blink the sleep from my eyes and try to reach over to grab my phone off the nightstand when I feel a weight on my body holding me back. My eyes widen and everything from the night before comes rushing back into my memory. The reason I can't move is because of the beautiful blonde whose head is resting on my bare chest just below my chin, arm loosely wrapped around my waist, and leg thrown over my hips. Last night. I close my eyes and take in her scent, reminiscing of our time together, exploring each other hungrily for the first time. Shortly after she brought me to my tipping point, I returned the favor and boy, did I enjoy it. Tasting Brittany for the first time opened a whole new world, watching her orgasm build and explode because of me, hearing my name being moaned as I brought her higher and higher, I don't think I'll ever get over it. After round one, we lie on our backs trying to catch our breath, turning our faces toward each other, softly gliding our lips against one another. Of course, the kiss becomes more heated which leads to a round two and then a round three in the shower, because according to Brittany, we need to clean ourselves off. My face heats up as I remember having Brittany pinned against the wall of my shower, leg wrapped around my waist as I drove my fingers into her, water falling over our bodies.

We eventually fell asleep around 4 AM which I can only imagine was a couple hours ago. Seeing as I won't be able to move any time soon, not that I even want to, I close my eyes, letting the memory of our night continue to play in my head as I fall back asleep. All our late-night activities were satisfyingly exhausting so I'm not at all surprised that sleep comes so easily once again.

I don't even know how much time has passed when I start to wake up for the second time this morning feeling the blonde move under my arm. We must have switched positions at some point because we are now both on our sides, her back curled into my front, my arm wrapped tightly around her waist holding her close. I fully open my eyes feeling a lot more rested than I did the first time but make no attempt to move, not sure if she's awake or still asleep. I feel her hand rub mine a few times before she intertwines her fingers with mine and gives it a light squeeze. She is definitely awake unless she's doing this in her sleep which is completely adorable.

"San?" I hear her whisper, her morning voice raspy and so sexy. I can definitely get used to hearing that every morning. I don't immediately respond but move my lips to her shoulder lightly kissing it.

"Morning," I mumble, my lips still lingering on her skin when I hear her hum in approval.

She turns her body to face me, my arm still around her waist. Her face is so close to mine that our noses touch and she gives me the cutest smile, her face so relaxed after what looks like a very peaceful night of sleep. It's crazy how comfortable this all feels. Lying here naked, wrapped up in her arms. Normally, this would make me freak the fuck out, but right now, at this moment, everything feels normal.

"Morning," she returns my greeting and leans in, not that she needs to too much as our lips were already so close, and kisses me gently. "How'd you sleep?"

"Amazing," I tell her without hesitation. "You?"

"Same," she responds, her eyes never leaving my lips as she leans in again. The kiss quickly speeds up as our tongues start up the same dance they became so accustomed to the night before. Brittany rolls me onto my back and takes her position above me never breaking the kiss as her hands start to massage up and down my sides, moving from the top of my rib cage right below the curve of my breast and down to my hip bone. Her actions make it hard to breathe as her kisses move away from my lips and to my jawline and down my neck. I can feel myself getting worked up already, I'm always more sensitive in the morning, as she continues her assault on my neck in a painfully slow manner. A moan creeps up my throat and is released, not that I would be able to hold it in anyway. This seems to stir her on as I hear a groan escape her, feeling the vibration on my pulse point where her lips are sucking against my skin. Her hand slides up and palms my sensitive breast initiating another moan, but this time a little louder. Her lips hungrily attach to my hardened nipple and my body involuntarily lifts off the bed as my back arches into her touch. She starts to move her kisses from my breast down the middle of my stomach and I wait in anticipation knowing where this is going. Even though it has only been a few hours since this last happened, it feels like something I have been deprived of for years and my body tingles in anticipation, waiting for her lips to reach its desired destination. She is literally inches away from my throbbing center when there's a knock at the door and both our movements stop, both frozen in our spots when she lifts her head and locks her eyes with mine.

"You think it's the maid to clean my room?" I ask her my breath uneven from our activities.

"Maybe. Do you want to check? We're kind of both naked," she says with a smirk as she looks down between our bodies to make her point, and back up to me. "Don't want anyone walking in with us in this position."

I roll my eyes at her statement and playfully slap her arm, pushing her off of me at the same time. I quickly pull on a shirt and shorts before going to the door to look through the peephole when my eyes widen.

"It's Sugar!" I whisper to Brittany and see her facial expression start to mirror mine.

She jumps out of bed starts looking around frantically, clearly panicking. I almost forget that Sugar is just on the other side of the door and get distracted by the naked goddess standing in front of me, her perfect body on full display for my viewing pleasure. Damn, she is so fucking sexy. I just want to grab her, throw her on the bed and taste…

"Santana!" She yells while still trying to keep her voice low enough so Sugar doesn't hear. "Focus!"

I quickly shake the dirty thoughts out of my head. "Right, yeah, sorry. Go hide in the bathroom," I tell her when I hear Sugar knock again and yell my name.

"Hey, Sugar!" I say as I poke my head out the door so she can't see inside my room even though Brittany is now safely tucked behind my bathroom door.

"What took you so long?" She asks.

"Oh, um, I was just getting out of the shower," I quickly lie thinking that was a pretty good excuse.

She narrows her eyes at me, lifting her eyebrows in a questioning stare. "You were getting out of the shower," she repeats back to me.

"Yup!"

"So, why is your hair dry?" She says eyes still glued on mine as she crosses her arms across her chest. Fuck, I didn't' think about that. Think, Lopez, think!

"I was getting _in_ the shower," I respond hoping that will take care of any suspicions she might have. She can totally tell I am acting weird and I try to play it off. "I meant getting in not out. Sorry. I'm so tired. I barely got any sleep last night."

"Right," she keeps her stare on me and I start to feel nervous but try and keep my cool so she doesn't think anything of my definitely odd behavior.

"What's up?" I ask her to see why she's at my door hoping to take the attention off of me for just a second.

"I guess there's a storm coming so they canceled our tours for the day."

"Oh, that sucks. Well, thanks for letting me know. I'm gonna take that shower and probably take a nap, you know, get some rest," I tell her hoping she will leave so I can get back to Brittany and her beautiful naked body as fast as possible.

"Yeah, whatever you say, San," she gives me a funky smile and I return it with an awkward one. "I'm gonna head to Britt's room and let her know too."

"NO!" I yelp as my eyes go wide. "No, it's okay. I was actually going to head there after my shower to see if she wanted to grab coffee before the tour. I'll just let her know, no tour!" I say softer trying to keep my voice steady as I let out a shaky laugh.

"Uh huh. You're acting weird," she bluntly tells me.

"I am? Probably the lack of sleep," I say nodding my head, hoping this excuse sticks.

"Yeah. Probably. Well, catch you later. I'm going to bug Puck for a bit."

"Okay. See you later."

I let out a huge sigh as I lean against the door as soon as it's shut. "Britt! Coast is clear!" I shout toward the closed bathroom door.

The door slowly opens as Brittany's head pokes out. "You sure?"

"Yeah, Britt. I'm sure," I reassure her through a smile.

I make my way over to her as I boldly rip the shirt off of me and throw it on the floor somewhere behind me. I wrap my arms around her waist pulling her body flush against mine and lean my head toward her lips. I'm about to make contact when she stops me. "What did she want?"

"Who?" I ask in a daze as I stare at her soft lips, my mind in a fog with her skin against mine.

"Sugar, why was she here?" she giggles and raises her eyebrow at me.

I clear my throat, knowing I was caught staring. "Oh, apparently there's a storm or something so they canceled the tours for the day."

"That sucks. So, what are we doing today?" She asks with a sneaky smirk.

"Well, we were kind of in the middle of something…" I say suggestively.

"We were? Did we order food or something?" She says obviously pretending to not know what I was implying.

"No. Not food, Britt. But we were definitely going to be satisfying our appetites," I smirk.

"Yes, we were," she whispers her eyes turning dark with desire as she pulls me in for a kiss.

"I think I need food now," she says as she tries to catch her breath.

We are both lying on our backs legs still tangled breathing heavily, both completely satiated. This girl has some crazy stamina as I try and focus to get my breathing back to normal.

"Yeah. Food." It's about all I have the energy to say.

"Want to order room service? Or get something from the café downstairs?"

"Let's get something from the café. I can go get it for us," I suggest, finally able to use full sentences as my breathing goes back to normal.

"You sure?" I nod assuring her that I can go by myself. I don't even know what time it is but I'm hoping it's late enough to call Quinn because the last 24 hours have been insane and I can really use my best friend. "Okay. I'm going to go to my room and shower and get some fresh clothes. Want to meet there?"

"Yeah. I'm gonna hop in the shower really quick too and then grab our food. Do you know what you want to eat?"

"Whatever you order is fine with me. Just get a lot of food. I'm starving!"

Brittany leaves and I take a quick shower before pulling on some sweatpants and a sweatshirt and throwing my hair into a bun. I grab my phone and wallet and head down to the café in the lobby. I put in our order and head over to the chairs while I wait for our food to be ready.

I dial Quinn and wait, not so patiently tapping my foot, for her to answer.

"Come on Q. Pick up!" I let out a frustrated groan as the dial tone continues to ring in my ear.

" _Hey, San!"_

"Quinn! What took you so long to answer! I need to talk to you and I don't have a lot of time."

" _Sorry, S. I didn't hear my phone at first…"_

"Yeah. Whatever. It's fine. Me and Brittany had sex."

" _What!"_

" _Who?"_ I hear a second voice which sounded exactly like my moms, making me choke on nothing, eyes popping out of my head.

"Mom!" I shout in shock.

" _Good morning to you too, sweetheart."_ I can hear the sarcasm in her voice.

"Am I on speaker?"

" _Yes."_ Both answer at the same time.

"Ugh. Q. Take me off speaker. Now!"

" _Be nice, Santana."_

I can hear Quinn chuckling in the background. "Sorry, mom. I just really need to talk to Quinn and this isn't the kind of conversation I want to have with my mom listening if you know what I mean."

" _Yes, Santana. I understand what you mean. I did hear you in the beginning of this call, remember?"_

I roll my eyes and groan out in embarrassment, burying my head in my hands.

" _Sorry, S. How was I supposed to know you were going to call and give me news like that?"_ She says when it's finally just us on the phone.

"What the hell are you doing at my house at," I look at the time on my watch, "9 in the morning? Don't you have your own family to bother?" I roll my eyes even though she can't see me.

" _Shut up. You know I love your parents and I had nothing to do today so I came over to help your mom with breakfast. She's making my favorite."_

"Good for you. I don't really care about the fact that you have a weird bacon addiction that my mom continues to enable right now. I need to talk to you and I only have a few minutes before I have to go back upstairs."

" _You're an ass, but fine. So, what the hell happened? Did you two really have sex? How was it? Did you freak out? Is she good? Wait, the song worked?"_

"Well, if you give me a chance to speak I can tell you!"

" _Right. Sorry. Go on…"_

"The song definitely worked. I didn't think so at first because she was kind of quiet the rest of the night but after we went back to the hotel she came to my room and looked like she wanted to say something and then next thing I know she's freaking kissing me! And it was amazing, perfect, everything I imagined and more. And then, you know… we did it," I mumble shyly.

" _Did it? What, are we in 8_ _th_ _grade? Did she ask you to go steady too? Do you want to be my girlfriend? Check, Yes, No or Maybe,"_ she laughs, mocking me.

"Shut up! We had sex, Q. Okay? Sex, boned, did the dirty whatever, all night long, oh and this morning and it was fucking amazing. She also has a lot of stamina. I swear, I feel like I have no energy left in me."

" _I can't believe it! This is awesome. Look at you, getting some action while exploring the world."_

"Don't be jealous."

" _Oh, I'm totally jealous,"_ she says through a laugh. _"Now what?"_

"Now, nothing. I don't know. We were together all morning and didn't get out of bed until just recently because we both desperately needed food. She went to her room to shower and I went to grab food. Actually, she's probably done and waiting for me."

" _Hell yeah! I'm happy for you. Don't_ _overthink_ _it. Just have fun."_

"I know. That's what I'm doing. Or at least, what I'm trying to do. You know that's hard for me. My brain never shuts up! Anyways, our food is ready. Have fun dealing with my mom's twenty questions! Bye!"

" _You suck, Santana!"_ I hear before I hang up laughing at the scenario back home. I can just imagine both of them in the kitchen as my mom gives Quinn an interrogation about me.

I grab the multiple bags of food I ordered and anxiously head back through the lobby when the elevator doors open revealing the last two people I want to see.

"Yo, Lopez. Whatcha' doing?" Puck asks looking down at the bags in my hand.

"Um, me and Britt were hungry so I volunteered to get something for us to eat," I tell him trying to keep the conversation casual, not that Puck would suspect anything but Sugar, on the other hand, would definitely start putting together the pieces, especially after this morning when I acted like a complete lunatic.

"Cool. Can we join you guys?" He asks.

Damn it. I can't say no now. What am I supposed to say? 'No, actually, I would prefer it just be me and Britt so we can eat and hopefully get naked again and have endless amounts of sex, preferably until the end of this trip.' Yeah, that would definitely not work. "Sure," I say instead.

I knock at Brittany's door hoping she won't be upset that they are with me.

"What took you so lon- Oh, hey guys!" Brittany's tone changes when she notices that I'm not alone. I mentally thank the lords that she has clothes on.

"We ran into San downstairs and she said it was cool if we hung out with you two. The stupid rain cancelled the tours so we were bored," Puck mentions as he pushes past Brittany and makes himself comfortable on the bed.

I'm the last to walk in and give Brittany an apologetic smile.

"I hope it's okay. I didn't really know what to say to get rid of them," I tell her quietly so the others don't hear.

"Don't worry about it," she responds with a warm smile that reaches the corners of her eyes.

I set the bags on the table taking out all the containers of food.

"Holy shit, Lopez. You trying to feed an army? You two were going to eat all this food?" Puck asks shocked at the amount of food that is laid out on the table.

"Yeah. We're starving!" Brittany says pushing Puck to the side to start attacking the fries and then moving and taking a bite out of the panini.

"Why are you two so hungry?" Sugar asks Brittany with a smirk and I feel my heart rate speed up at her accusing tone. Brittany doesn't respond since she's currently stuffing her face with fish n chips.

"Humph?" She looks up towards Sugar with her cheek full of food and she looks like a cute chipmunk, a freaking adorable chipmunk.

"I asked why you two are so hungry?" Sugar repeats.

"Oh, um," she starts, swallowing her last bite. "Well, I haven't really had anything to eat since last night at the pub and don't think San has either."

"Yeah but good thing you guys are here! Think I may have overdone it," I add through a nervous laugh. Again, Sugar gives me this look that reminds me of the same look she had given me at the lake when she figured out my very small, okay maybe not small, crush on Brittany.

After we are all full, Puck turns the TV on and everyone is lounging enjoying the rainy day. Puck and Brittany are hanging out on the bed hooked on 'Hoarders' which Puck decided was a good show to watch while Sugar and I are on the couch, clearly not as interested in the show as the other two, when I feel her nudge me.

"Did something happen with you and Britt last night?"

And there it is. I was waiting for that question just didn't think she would ask with Brittany sitting literally 5 feet away from us. I peak over to the two on the bed to make sure their attention is not on us and look back towards Sugar knowing I'm blushing.

"Why would you think that?" I say trying to play into her game.

"Well, for one, that song you sang last night. It was obvious what you were trying to hint at. Ruin the friendship? Really?" She grins. "I mean, genius choice. If I was into girls I totally would be all over that after that performance."

"Shut up. Was it that obvious? Because honestly when I finished I didn't think she got my hint and figured she just wasn't really into me."

"Yeah, totally. Don't play dumb, San," she answers. "She's definitely feelin' you if you know what I mean. So, are you going to answer my question for real now? Or you going to make me dig it out of you."

I pause and stare at her wanting her to not have the satisfaction of being on point right away.

"So," I drag out, "she kissed me," I finally admit trying to hide the giddiness in my voice.

"Shut up!" She shrieks.

"What!" Puck and Brittany both jump in their place on the bed and look toward us. Sugar's loud voice definitely got their attention.

"Uh, nothing!" Sugar immediately says. "San was just telling me about, uh," she looks to me for help. "About…,"

"About how me and Britt smoked before we went out the other night," I blurt out quickly.

"What the heck, Bro! And you didn't share?" He shouts playfully punching Brittany in the arm.

"Oh, shut up, Puck. We just smoked a little. Get over it," Brittany tells him before their attention is back on the TV.

"Sorry," Sugar whispers. "So, she just kissed you? Tell me everything!"

"Not here." She nods in understanding.

"Hey, me and San are going to grab us some coffee and playing cards from the gift shop. We'll be back. Need anything while we're gone?" Sugar asks them.

"Want to grab something a little stronger than coffee?" Of course, Puck would suggest alcohol.

"Sure, we'll see what they have downstairs. Don't really want to go far with this rain."

As soon as we are outside Brittany's room, Sugar grabs my arm turning my body to face hers. "Okay, tell me everything. Don't skip anything!"

I roll my eyes as I start to tell her everything, from how Brittany showed up to my room after we all got back and kissed me out of nowhere to how that escalated into us sleeping together. Sugar was trying so hard to contain her excitement as I continued to tell her that she sort of interrupted our morning.

"Shit! Sorry, San! I knew something was off about you. Britt was so in the room, wasn't she?"

I can't help but laugh at her. "Yeah, she was hiding in the bathroom. We thought maybe it was the maid to clean our rooms but nope, it was just you," I joke with her.

"I'm really happy for you San but just be careful with Britt. She's vulnerable even though she doesn't talk to me as much about her mom and her relationship with her dad. I know her better than she thinks. Just don't want you to get hurt."

I give her a small smile and nod, not fully understanding what she means by that. "Thanks, Sugar. I'm trying to not read into it too much. I mean, this has all happened so quickly. It just sucks because I could deal with the crush I had on her before, but now after last night, I don't know. My feelings are growing, and fast."

She gives me a comforting smile as she rests her hand on my shoulder, "I know."

"What do I do?"

"Honestly? And I know Britt's my best friend, but maybe try and keep it casual. Why don't you take the night to sleep on it? You two have been spending a lot of time together, maybe you just need a night to yourself to think it all over. And after that, you should probably have this conversation with her to at least establish what it is that is going on. I mean, she is the one who kissed you, so she should at least tell you what her intentions were. We know what her intentions were last night," She adds at the end with a smirk. "But I mean her intentions moving forward."

"Yes," I laugh, "I definitely know what you mean. God, Sugar, it was amazing!" I sigh.

"Oh man, you've got it bad, girl!" I just nod knowing I am in big trouble.

We were able to find some beer at the gift shop and grab the playing cards and head back up to the room. When we walk in the other two barely flinch, still glued to the show they were immersed in before we left.

"Earth to Britt and Puck! We're back! And we found beer!" Sugar shouts standing in front of the TV effectively blocking their view.

"Sweet! Who's down for a game of Kings Cup!"

We end up playing until our beer runs out which thankfully wasn't that long. I wasn't really in the mood to be drunk and in the same room as Brittany. Sugar is right, I need to take the night to myself and think this over and I definitely need to have a talk with Brittany.

"Well, think I'm gonna call it a night," Puck announces. "See you guys in the morning! Think the rain has died down so we are probably still on for our tour before we head out to France."

"Yeah, I'm going to head out too," Sugar adds, "Goodnight you two!"

They head out leaving me and Brittany alone for the first time since this afternoon. It's quiet at first, quite a bit of distance between us. "Wanna hang out for a little bit more?" She asks me, breaking the silence.

"Actually, I think I'm going to head out too. I need to get my stuff together before we leave tomorrow and I kind of need to get some studying in while I have the time," I tell her and see her face drop a little. "But I'll see you in the morning. Maybe we can all grab some coffee before we head out," I add hoping to put a smile on her face. God, this girl has me wrapped around her finger already. I'm in big trouble.

"Yeah," She replies softly, "That sounds nice." She gets up and walks me to the door. I am about to walk out when she grabs my wrist and pulls me into a hug. "Goodnight, San," she says and leans in giving me a light kiss on the cheek.

"Goodnight, Britt."

I sigh when I finally get to my room, throwing my body in the middle of my now made bed. Thankfully, they change the sheets so they won't smell like Brittany and maybe I'll be able to get my head straight without being distracted by her intoxicating scent. I let out a deep breath. I know that last night changed everything for me, the question is, does Brittany feel the same? How would this even work? We will all be going home soon and who knows where she'll be headed to. She is such a free soul and the next few years are set for me with Med School. Why can't things not be complicated for once? She even said herself, she wants to travel and not be tied down. I know we need to talk, I just hope that this doesn't change anything in our friendship because that would be the most devastating thing. And with that I drown deeper into the comfort of my bed, alone, wishing instead I had a certain blonde next to me to kiss and to hold.


	9. Whatever Happens, Happens

**Chapter 9: Whatever Happens, Happens**

I groan at the sound of my alarm ringing through my room. Seeing as I didn't get much sleep last night, waking up at this time is pure torture. I tossed and turned for a good portion of the night, my thoughts stuck on the blonde that stormed into my life at the most unexpected time. Sugar's words keep playing in my head over and over, 'She's vulnerable', 'Just don't want you to get hurt'. I don't think Brittany is capable of hurting anyone intentionally, but I know that's not what Sugar meant. She knows Brittany better than anyone and knows that she is a free-spirit wanting to travel the world with no one to tie her down. Brittany isn't the type to settle right now and me? Well, we might be young but I want that. I want that kind of commitment, that eternal love with someone and if we're given the chance, I know Brittany can maybe be that one for me one day.

I drag my tired body into the shower hoping it will help to wake me up knowing today is a travel day. As the water falls down my face, I close my eyes and sigh, the dreaded conversation has to happen sooner than later. Was this just a one-time thing for her? For us? I have so many questions and no answers, and I desperately need answers or I might go crazy.

Thankfully, I packed my bags last night and had them waiting for me by the door. I throw my toiletries in my bag and head down to the lobby knowing most of the group is probably already down there eager to get to our final destination, France.

"Morning, San!" Brittany greets me first handing me a hot cup of coffee. My heart warms at her thoughtfulness.

"Thanks," I mumble as I bring the cup to my lips, ignoring the fact that it's probably still too hot to drink, and take a much-needed sip, hoping the caffeine will kick in, and fast.

"You look like shit, Lopez," Puck comments. Ugh, I'm so not in the mood. I know I look like shit. I didn't sleep. I tossed and turned all fucking night. Can't he just leave me alone for one second?

"Don't be an ass, Puck," Sugar retorts quickly in my defense.

"I didn't get much sleep last night," I tell him taking a glance at Brittany who looks at me with concern. "This coffee should help, though. Are we ready to go?"

"Yeah. Think the vans are waiting to take us to the train station," Brittany answers.

I nod and start toward the vans with my bags, the rest following. Luckily, the drive to the station isn't long and soon we are all boarding our last train. As I walk to my seat, it starts to hit me that our trip is nearing its end and even though I try to push the sadness aside, I can't help to look around and make sure I take every last minute of this trip in.

Of course, with my luck, my assigned seat is next to Brittany's. Maybe this is a sign? I mean, we're going to be on a moving train with nowhere to go for the next two and a half hours. We get situated, me next to the window with Brittany taking the aisle seat, as the conductor walks by scanning our tickets. I try and get comfortable, grabbing my books and headphones from my bag before tucking it back under the seat and look to see Brittany doing the same. The first fifteen minutes is spent in complete silence. I sit there frozen in my seat having 'that' conversation with Brittany taking over my mind, going over every scenario trying to figure out the best way to initiate it without sounding desperate or needy or whiny. Ugh, sometimes I wish I could be more like Brittany. Carefree with no worries.

Apparently, my brain and mouth are not on the same page today and I find myself blurting out, "What was that the other night?" Great, word vomit. If she didn't think I was crazy before, she definitely will now.

I chance a glance to Brittany to gauge her reaction to the words that decided to leave my mouth without my consent and see her giving me an odd look that is hard to read.

"I figured this would come out soon. We had sex," she says nonchalantly shrugging her shoulders and looking back at her book. Really? That's it? We had sex?

"Um, yeah. I know that part, Britt. But I was wondering, why?" Oh my god. Did I just ask the hottest girl I've ever laid my eyes on who I happen to be seriously falling for and with who I had amazing sex with, why she decided to have sex with me? What the fuck is wrong with me?

I hear her giggle, "Why does anyone have sex, San?" I give her a confusing look not exactly knowing how to answer that. I don't really get the chance before she's continuing, "I'm very attracted to you, San and I thought you were too. I mean that's definitely the vibe I was getting and we spend a lot of time together and I enjoy your company a lot. And you are seriously sexy, Santana," she adds with that smirk that makes me melt. "Plus, you didn't really think I was going to be able to resist you after you sang that song, did you?" She asks.

I let out a nervous chuckle and bring my chin down to my chest trying to hide my face shyly. She reaches over and lightly places a finger under my chin to lift it up so that our eyes are connected on each other. "Hey, no need to get embarrassed about it. You were amazing that night, your voice is one of the sexiest things I've ever heard and that song choice was perfect. And I had an amazing night with you, and morning," she says genuinely. "Here's what I know," she starts as she grabs my hand pulling it into her lap softly rubbing her thumb across my skin. "This trip has been amazing. I mean, I knew it would be when the three of us decided to do it, but you being here has been a surprising addition, especially for me. You have become such a good friend, someone I can talk to about things, things I usually don't like to talk about. And we are two adults who are definitely into each other and we had a great time. We have a few days left till we go back home and I'm not sure where that takes us. But what I do know is that I would like to spend these final days having fun with my friends, and with you, exploring a new city. Whatever happens, happens. How does that sound?"

I'm left completely speechless. Somehow, she has made everything I want to say go out of my brain as I sit there in silence, letting her words soak in. Whatever happens, happens. Simple. Not complicated. I can do that. I think.

"Okay, Britt. Whatever happens, happens. And for the record, meeting you has been a surprising addition for me too," I tell her genuinely which puts a huge smile on her face. "Oh, by the way, Sugar knows," I confess.

Brittany stares at me for a second processing my last statement when suddenly she bursts out laughing which shocks me. "I guess that's not a bad thing?" I ask her based on her reaction.

"No, I mean, it's not a good thing but not a bad thing either." I give her a confusing look. "It's not a bad thing because well it's Sugar. Yeah, she's nosy but she's a good friend and won't tell anyone, but it's not a good thing because she _is_ nosy. She is not going to leave us alone, you know that, right?" She says with a grin spread across her face. "How'd she find out anyway?"

Well, I can't exactly tell Brittany that Sugar has known about my feelings for her for a while now because then I would be admitting to her about said feelings and after the talk we just had, that is the last thing I want at this moment in time, stuck on a train with nowhere to go.

"The song kind of gave her an idea that maybe something happened between us," I tell her vaguely. "She asked if anything happened and I told her we kissed then obviously she got the rest out of me," I say shyly still slightly embarrassed to talk about us having sex.

"I'm sure she freaked!" She says through a giggle.

I don't know how much time has passed when I feel a tickle in my nose that won't stop. As I start to wake up more, I feel the tickling sensation again followed by a low laugh. I try and blink away the sleep and shift my head off Brittany's shoulder to look up towards the source of all the laughing and see blue eyes staring back at me. "Good morning, sleepy head."

I quickly lift my head off her shoulder, "Sorry, Britt. I didn't realize I fell asleep and on you to top it off."

"You looked comfortable. Think I even heard you snoring."

"I do _not_ snore!"

"You do, but it's okay. I won't tell anyone. Our secret."

"Were you tickling my nose?" I ask remembering why I woke up in the first place.

She slowly nods looking guilty. "And _why_ were you tickling my nose?" I continue to question.

"You were asleep for such a long time! I got bored, thought it was time for you to wake up and play with me."

"Is that so?" I teasingly ask her. "Well, now that I'm awake, what can I do for you?" I ask playfully. Her smile goes from innocent to sneaky quick, the same look I saw when she showed up to my hotel the other night. I know what that look means and it makes my heart start to race, waiting for her next move. We hold each other's gaze for just a moment when she slowly leans closer to me barely pressing her lips to my ear. "Ever had sex on a train before?" She whispers in a seductive tone, her breath sending goosebumps up my spine leaving me speechless. I can't get my body to move or do anything even though my brain is screaming at me to do something. She moves her hand to my leg starting to rub up and down my thigh moving higher and higher and even through my jeans I can feel every inch of skin she touches start to burn, yearning to feel her hands make contact with my bare skin. When her movement stops, I am pulled out of my Brittany daze and slowly open my hooded eyes when I'm met with dark blue lust filled eyes causing my breath to hitch. Brittany must notice this because next thing I know her fingers interlock with mine and she drags me out of my seat and down the narrow aisle. Before I have a chance to process what is going on, she is pulling me into the back cabins bathroom, which is just a little bigger than the size of an airplane's bathroom, and she lifts me in one swift motion onto the counter hungrily attaching her lips to mine. This is happening.

My legs instinctively wrap around her waist, my arms wrapping around her neck, her kisses hungry and eager. She grabs my hips pulling me closer against her body so that I am just at the edge of the counter her fingers moving to the hem of my shirt. She pulls it off in one swift motion and immediately attaches her lips to my collar bone moving lower between my chest. I feel her hands move to my backside as she tries to unhook my bra which she successfully does as she rids me of completely. I groan as her lips find my breast as her hand moves to cup the other, both out of pleasure from what she is doing to me and frustration, as I move my hands to the edge of her slightly risen t-shirt, wanting so desperately to feel her bare chest against mine. I practically rip it off her, pulling her bra off at the same time.

We both are moving fast. I know we can't be in the bathroom for too long and she does too when she starts to fumble with the button of my jeans. She doesn't struggle much and starts to tug my jeans and underwear down as I slightly lift my hips to assist her. She doesn't waste any time as she latches back to my neck at the same time her fingers move through my folds.

"Mm. Were you dreaming about this when you were sleeping?" She husks against my lips as she pulls them between her teeth. She lets it go with a pop and is diving back in, her tongue exploring mine as she plunges into me with two fingers. My eyes roll in pleasure as she starts to move her fingers inside of me with conviction. I can already feel myself unraveling and know I won't be able to last much longer, not with the way her fingers start to curl as she hits the perfect spot deep within me with each thrust.

"Feels s-so good," I moan out. She continues to thrust never slowing her pace and rests her forehead against mine.

"Come for me, San," she whispers and with those words, my body shakes and my eyes slam shut as pleasure jolts through my entire body. My legs wrap tighter around her body as her fingers still inside of me, her thumb rubbing small circles over my sensitive center to help me ride out this feeling. My head is buried into Brittany's neck as my breathing starts to even out. I whimper as her fingers slide out of me, already missing the feeling of being filled. I let out a contented sigh and try to muster up enough energy to lift my head.

"That was so fucking hot," I tell her giving her a lazy smirk.

"Yeah, it was," she agrees. I lean in to connect our lips as I start to remove her shorts, my patience running thin since it's been two days since I've felt Brittany the way I have craved for so long. Her shorts are halfway down when we are interrupted by a loud and abrupt knock. A knock that brings us both back to the reality of the situation. We both stare at each other for a second, frozen, before we are both letting out a string of laughs.

"Shit!" She says through another giggle. "Think they'll just go away if we ignore them?" She asks with her eyebrow quirked, leaning in to place a quick and soft kiss to my swollen lips.

"I don't think so, Britt," I look down at our compromising situation and I am still very much naked propped up on the counter of a train bathroom. "We should probably get dressed and back to our seats."

I hear her groan in protest against my shoulder. "Fine," she grunts.

We look over each other's appearance making sure we look decent and not like we just had hot bathroom sex, which we did, we _definitely_ did before we open the door.

"What took you guys so long? And why were you guys in that small ass bathroom together?" Puck asks staring at us.

Shit. "San had a lady problem I had to help her with, Puck. Do you want details?" Brittany says, as my head jerks to her in shock.

"Uh, no! That's okay. I'm good. Say no more," he says as he moves past us, covering his ears like a child and shuts the door.

"That was close," Brittany says as we get back to our seats as I continue to stare at her.

"Really, Britt? Lady problems?" I ask her with my arms crossed against my chest.

"Oh, chill, San. It got Puck to stop asking questions," she shrugs. "Plus, technically I did fix your lady problem," she adds with a flirtatious wink. God, this girl is going to be the death of me. "Interested in a friendly game of tic-tac-toe?"

"Challenging me, Pierce?"

"Yeah, you up for it?" She plays along.

"You're goin' down. I'm a tic-tac-toe master." This gets her to laugh as she pulls out a sheet of paper and a pen.

The rest of the train ride is filled with games, laughs and flirtatious touches, almost like a never-ending teasing game. We arrive in France, Paris to be exact, the city of love. Great. Just my luck that our trip would end in the most romantic city in the world. I shake my head trying to push those thoughts aside. I remind myself to breathe as I play Brittany's words over and over in my head, 'Whatever happens, happens.'

We arrive at our hotel, quickly change and are already on our bus for our afternoon tour. First up on the list is Sainte Chapelle, a beautiful chapel which Brittany eats up, her camera never leaving her hands and I don't blame her, it's truly breathtaking in here. From there we move to Notre Dame.

"I'm so excited to see Notre Dame!" Brittany says to me with her eyes wide as we stand at the entrance. "It looks so much like it did in the movie!" I see Brittany's childlike playfulness exude from her eyes, making my heart flutter with, _no Santana, don't even think it._

"Yeah, Britt. Just like the movie," I tell her as I force my eyes away from the beautiful blonde and focus my attention on the cathedral in front of us. It is truly amazing, the architecture and history, and yeah, it does look so much like the Disney movie, 'Hunchback of Notre Dame'. I can just imagine young Brittany watching the movie, dreaming of being in a place just as stunning in person one day. After the cathedrals, we break off from the group to find a nearby café to grab a bite to eat.

"So, what do you guys want to do tomorrow? We don't have anything scheduled," Sugar asks as we wait for our food to arrive.

"Well, we're going to some museums and Eiffel Tower the day after, so let's not do any of that," Puck says.

"What if we rent a car and drive out by the beach? I've heard South of France is beautiful. We do have the entire day. I wonder how far it is? What do you guys think?" Brittany suggests like a true genius.

"Yes!" I say a little too enthusiastically, partly because I would love to be by the beach but also because who wouldn't want to be around Brittany in a bikini all day? I mean, come on, have you seen her body?

"Yeah, I'm in!" Puck says as he suddenly disappears from the table. We all look at each other questioningly but decide not to worry because, well, it's Puck. Our food arrives, and we all sit in silence enjoying every bite. It's been a long day of traveling and exploring and we are all beyond the point of just hungry. Puck comes back to our table smirking.

"Tomorrow is all set!" He says as he takes a bite of his panini.

"How?" Sugar asks him. He wasn't even gone more than five minutes. But again, it's Puck. He has a way of taking care of things, and I am not one to question how. He gives us a smirk before looking over his shoulder at the cute waitress that is serving us, giving her a wave. "I figured I would ask her. I mean, she's cute, so I killed two birds with one stone."

"What do you mean by that?" Sugar continues to ask Puck. Like I said, I am not one to question how, when it comes to Puck.

"Did you see her? She's cute and French. Puck loves the French," he starts winking in Sugar's direction. Brittany looks up from her food at her best friend, giving him a disgusted look. "Anyways, I asked her about the beaches and how we can rent a car and all that."

"So, what does that have to do with two stones?" Really? I love Sugar but how is she not understanding that Puck was flirting with the girl? Probably even got her number or told her where we are staying and gave her his room number.

"Sugar, I got her number. We're going to meet up later tonight," he responds with a proud smile plastered on his face.

Brittany rolls her eyes at him before asking, "We don't care to hear about how you flirt with every girl that smiles at you. What did she say about tomorrow?"

"We can rent a car at a nearby place. She said there is a small town that has a beach a couple hours from here," he says ignoring Brittany's comment.

"I'm in!" Sugar finally says.

After our meal, we head back to the hotel to freshen up since Puck successfully convinces us to come out with him to meet up with the girl from the café. We end up at a cool dance club and I get excited as we make our way through the crowd and toward the bar. I can't wait to dance with Brittany again especially given the most recent events between us.

"Is your girl here?" Sugar asks Puck as we push through to get to the front of the bar. He quickly looks around and shakes his head.

"Let's get a drink, she should be here soon," he says as he orders the first round for all of us.

Camille, the girl from the café, gets there just after we finished our first drink. Puck is so excited that he buys another round, this time making sure everyone got a shot and a mixed drink. Of course, Brittany is the first one to suggest that we make our way to the dance floor and I was quick to agree, remembering how amazing it felt to dance with her. Plus, the girl can really dance, it just looks so effortless and so fucking sexy. Neither one of us waste any time pretending to dance with the others like the first time as we immediately gravitate toward each other. The dance floor is pretty crowded and Puck's attention is strictly on Camille, leaving only Sugar to worry about, which we don't have to since she sort of knows already knows about Brittany and I. Brittany pulls me closer into her body and my arms naturally wrap around her neck as hers take their spot firmly on my hips. Feeling a little bold, I slip my thigh between her legs as her forehead falls to my shoulder, a smirk spreading across my face. She looks up at me and stares deep into my eyes before a sneaky smiles creeps on her face. I give her a questioningly look and then she is spinning in my arms so that her back is pressed against me. She grinds her backside perfectly against my center which makes me groan out in pleasure. Luckily, the music is so loud in here, no one can hear me. My hands shoot to her hips as I squeeze them in a tight grip, trying to keep her perfect ass against me, because damn, this feels amazing. She is moving against me in the perfect way, making heat spread across my entire body. As I start to regain some composure, I lean in to make contact with her skin, when I feel someone tap my shoulder. Brittany must feel the grip on her hips tighten because her movements stop. I turn to see Puck and his girl standing right there.

"We're gonna grab another drink. Wanna come with us?" He asks. I turn my attention back to Brittany as she nods. I don't hesitate to grab her hand as we push our way through the crowd and back toward the bar.

"Where's Sugar? Wasn't she next to us on the dance floor?" I ask Brittany as we take a seat on the barstools.

She shrugs, "I thought I saw her dancing with some guy. I'm sure she's out there somewhere."

Puck insists on taking shots and I start to feel the alcohol make me loose and giggly.

"I'm gonna look for Sugar," Brittany tells me and I feel sad that she is leaving but don't want to sound clingy either by following her around everywhere. "Meet you guys back here?" She asks. I nod and turn back towards Puck. I don't know what takes over me but I find myself suggesting another round of shots to which naturally Puck happily agrees to.

It feels like it's been forever since Brittany left and I look around to see if I can find her but the place is filled with people. I scan the bar one more time when I see another girl staring at me with what seems like a flirtatious smile. I quickly look away not wanting her to get the wrong idea. "I'm going to go find Britt!" I yell toward Puck, not too concerned if he heard me or not and I walk off toward the dancefloor. I barely make it two steps when I see the same girl pop up in front of me.

"Hi," she says leaning in toward me so I can hear her. Bold move. Now that she is right in front of me I get a better look and maybe it's the alcohol, but I can't deny that she is definitely attractive. Her hair is not quite as blonde as Brittany's, it's long and wavy and frames her face beautifully. Her eyes are emerald green and mysterious. She is just a little taller than me as she pulls in closer. "Want to dance?" She doesn't wait for a response when I feel her arms wrap around my waist bringing my body flush against hers and we start moving to the beat blaring through the club. It doesn't feel as good as when I was dancing with Brittany but the girl still has some moves and I feel my body loosen up as I start to work in my own moves, our bodies dancing in rhythm with each other. Her hands move to the small of my back which breaks me out of my daze. I want to pull away but my body doesn't seem to agree but before I have a chance to make a decision, I feel her lips graze against my shoulder. She pulls back immediately after and looks at me, a certain glint in her eyes. "Want to get a drink?"

"Su-" The word gets stuck in my throat and my eyes go wide as the girl is being pulled back.

"Excuse me! She's with me!" I hear Brittany yell.

"Sorry!" The girl, whose name I still don't know, apologizes to Brittany, clearly intimidated by the taller blonde. "Didn't know she was taken."

I want to protest and say I'm not technically taken, even though I wish I was, but I don't really have a chance because Brittany is dragging me across the dance floor and down a dark hallway. I try and ask where she is taking me and why. I practically trip over my own feet at how fast she is moving as I try to keep up. She pushes us through doors I don't recognize and spins me around, my back slamming against the door as her lips aggressive latch onto mine. She sucks my bottom lip into her mouth and bites but is quick to smooth it over with her tongue. My breath catches in my throat as I get lost in all things Brittany. I am quick to react and run my fingers through her hair, willing her closer to me as I thrust my own tongue into her mouth. Her hands trail from my back and brush lightly against my thighs as she grabs my leg and lifts it, so it wraps around her waist. God, it's like each time we do this, be physical with each other, I crave it even more, even when it's happening, I want more. She thrusts her hips against my center and a low groan crawls up my throat and out of my mouth which just stirs Brittany to continue her assault on my neck. This is so hot but not progressing fast enough for me and the amount of clothing that's in my way of feeling the soft pale skin I've grown to love is frustrating. Brittany must be thinking the same way because I feel her nimble fingers play at the edge of my tight dress, which is already rising because of the position of my leg. She almost has it high enough to work on my underwear when I feel the door that my back is resting against, move. I open my eyes reluctantly and that's when I notice we are in the women's bathroom and someone is obviously trying to come in. Brittany doesn't seem to be bothered and is launching forward again to reconnect our lips.

"Britt," I moan against her lips, but she doesn't stop. "Britt!" That seems to get her attention as she unwillingly pulls away. Her lips are swollen, and her eyes are glazy, a mix of alcohol and desire written on her face. "We're in a public bathroom."

She groans and rests her forehead against mine, both of us trying to gather our composure and catch our breath. "Yeah, forgot about that," she mumbles as she drops my leg and moves us both to the side. The door opens and the girl walking in gives us a suspicious look but doesn't question further as she races to the nearest stall. "Guess we should get back out there," she says as she faces the mirror trying her best to smooth out her hair that had my fingers running through them not even a minute ago. I also fix myself, noting my flushed cheeks and tousled hair. As I pull my dress down, the girl that was in the stall washes her hands and leaves, so I take this opportunity and turn to Brittany.

"What the hell was that?" I ask my voice sounding a little irritated. Why was she being rude to the girl I was dancing with? It's not like I was doing anything wrong. And yeah, I'm a little drunk otherwise I would never be this aggressive or forward with anyone, especially Brittany.

Brittany doesn't seem to care that my tone was harsh and gives me a smile as she leans against the wall and crosses her arms across her chest. "Didn't like the way she was dancing all up on you. Plus, you're my dance partner," she slurs out both of us feeling the many drinks we've had throughout the night. I want to be mad and yell that I am not hers but when she is looking at me with hungry eyes, all sense of reason goes out the door.

"I was looking for you, you know," I tell her matter-of-factly, as my body mirrors hers. "But _you_ disappeared on me, so technically it's your fault I was dancing with her," I tease her.

"Well then, Miss Lopez," she says playfully as she saunters towards me. "I greatly apologize for ditching your sexy ass."

I try and stifle my laugh, "Hm, I don't know if I can accept your apology," I say to play along.

"Is that so?" She husks, now standing so close I can feel her breath on my lips. "How about I make it up to you?" She says, seductively.

I try to keep my cool. "And how do you plan on doing that?" I say as my voice quivers feeling so turned on, even more so than when her body was pressed against mine.

"Well," she purrs and moves her lips so that it hovers and lightly grazes my ear. "First, I'm going to buy you a drink. And then I'm going to take you back to the hotel," she starts pressing the lightest of kisses at the tip of my earlobe. "And slip you out of this very sexy dress."

My eyes shut tight as I wait in anticipation for what comes next. "Mm, and then?"

"And then, I'm going to go down on you and not stop until you are begging me to," she husks sucking my earlobe into her mouth. And just like that, I'm putty in her hands and I don't think I can wait that long. I want to just push her against the wall and have my way with her here and now.

She pulls away and gives me a look, knowing that she is winding me up. I clear my throat and try to snap my brain out of the haze so I can continue with this act. "That sounds nice, let's hope it's good enough for me to forgive you, Miss Pierce."

She quirks her eyebrow and squints her eyes, "Oh, it'll be good enough. Trust me." And with that, she slips out of the bathroom holding the door open for me as I will my body to move. "Let's go, Lopez. Time for that drink," she says throwing a wink my way. I take a deep breath, which apparently, I have forgotten how to do, and follow her out.


	10. Confessions

**Chapter 10: Confessions**

I feel the bed dip next to me as I will my sleep-filled eyes to open only to see the absolute prettiest sight ever, Brittany.

"Morning," she greets me sounding chipper and very much awake.

"Mm. Morning," I mumble, my voice still filled with its morning rasp. She offers me a sweet smile, handing me a cup of coffee. I urge myself to sit up and grab the cup from her as I bring it to my lips, taking in the smell of the fresh brew aroma fill my nostrils. My eyes close as the first taste touches my lips and when I open them I see Brittany's eyes glued to my chest, a sly smirk creeping on her face. I look down to see what has caught her attention when I realize that I am very much naked, and my boobs are on full display. I quickly grab the sheets that are wrapped around my waist and pull them above my shoulder to cover myself, suddenly feeling extremely shy and very much exposed under her intense gaze.

"Hey! I was enjoying the view!" She exclaims through a playful pout.

I roll my eyes, keeping the sheet high on my chest. "What time is it?" I ask her as I set the cup on the nightstand closest to me.

"6:30," she replies.

I groan at her response, throwing myself back against the pillows and covering my face with the sheets. "So early," I whine, and I feel the bed shake under me as I peak my head out just enough to see Brittany silently giggling at my childish antics.

"Well, we need to get ready. Puck is leaving to pick up the car for us. We leave in an hour," she tells me as her laugh subsides. "I figured you could use some caffeine, grumpy."

"I'm not grumpy! No one should be awake and energized at this time but thank you, it's helping," I tell her. "I need to shower."

"Want some company?" This girl is insatiable. I continue to stare at her, only my eyes poking out of the sheets as she wiggles her eyebrows at me. There is no way I can deny this girl anything, so I bashfully nod, noting that I am still exposed under the covers. "Can you work fast, Lopez?" She challenges, and I already feel the wetness pool between my legs, furiously nodding my head, my heart pounding in excitement as I watch her saunter off towards the bathroom. It isn't until I hear the water running that my brain starts to work, and I jump out of bed faster than ever before.

An hour later, both of us clean and refreshed, we meet up with Sugar and Puck outside the hotel next to the car he rented. I look at the convertible with the top down and shoot Puck an approving smile.

"What do you guys think?" He asks, clearly proud of the choice he made.

"I love it. Can I drive?" Brittany asks as she walks around the car admiring the white Mustang.

"I don't think so, Pierce. I'm driving," Puck insists and I see Brittany start to pout. I would love to see her drive this car. I can just picture the blonde with the top down, wind in her hair, wearing her aviator sunglasses, looking like a complete badass; a sexy badass. The pout must work on Puck, which doesn't shock me because have you seen it? It would make anyone cave.

"Fine. How about we split the drive?" He suggests, and Brittany seems to be more than okay with that as she skips to the passenger side of the car yelling, 'Shotgun!' Sugar and I get comfortable in the back as Puck loads up the trunk with our bags before settling in the driver's seat.

The drive through Paris is beautiful and I know the rest are enjoying it as well because there is a comfortable silence in the car. About a quarter of the two-hour drive in, Sugar pipes up from the seat next to me, suggesting we play a car game.

"Let's play the 'Categories' game," Sugar says.

"What's that?" I ask her since I've never heard of it before.

"Someone will say a category and we'll keep going until someone messes up. So, let's say I pick 'Cars'. I would say, 'Ford', then Puck can say 'Mercedes', and we keep going until either someone blanks or repeats something already said. It's fun and easy and it'll pass the time," she explains.

Brittany picks the first category and I'm not at all shocked when she says, 'Disney Princesses'.

Puck starts with 'Cinderella' and I follow with 'Snow White', Sugar quickly saying 'Jasmine'. The category goes around one more time until Puck stays silent for too long trying to think of another Disney Princess, ending that round. Puck goes next and chooses 'Sex Positions'. Of course, typical Puck. I hear Brittany giggle from the front seat as she makes eye contact with me through the rear-view mirror as I feel my cheeks flush. Sugar goes first, 'doggy style', and I say 'missionary' followed by Brittany, who says 'sixty-nine'. I look out the window at the last thing as my mind shifts back to last night.

FLASHBACK

 _We all drunkenly stumble into the elevator and see Puck and Sugar off as we reach their floor. As soon as the doors shut, my body is pushed against the mirrored wall and Brittany's lips hungrily attach to mine, her tongue pushing past the slight opening of my mouth effortlessly as it massages against mine so deliciously. She pulls away from my face giving me a dazed smirk. "Your room or mine?" She husks against my lips._

" _Yours," I moan, wanting to get there as soon as possible, remembering what she promised me back in the bathroom._

 _We both stagger into her room, our lips never parting and our hands roaming against each other's bodies, both desperate for any kind of physical contact. She rips my tight dress off of me and goes to quickly undo my bra, slipping the straps off my shoulders and throwing it haphazardly somewhere behind us. My hands start to play with the hem of her shirt, desperate to feel her bare skin against mine. Once we are both left with nothing but our underwear, we move toward the bed, the back of my knees hitting the edge which makes me lose my balance for a second as my body falls flat against the bed. I scoot up higher, Brittany following as her body hovers over my own. Her kisses trail down my body and when she reached the skin above my belly button, her fingers hook and pull my underwear swiftly, ridding me of the last layer of clothing from my body. I can already feel the heat building up between my legs in anticipation as I wait patiently for her to dive into me with her magical tongue. She leaves the lightest kiss on my center before moving back in but this time aggressively sucking against my most sensitive part as a loud moan escapes from me._

" _Yes! Oh god, Britt," I breathe out. "That fe-feels so, ugh, good. So fu-fucking good."_

 _She hums in approval which just heightens my arousal as the vibrations from her throat make its presence against me. She is barely on me for more than a minute, licking with conviction when I feel my body tense unexpectedly, as a wave of pleasure rolls through every crevice of my body. She continues to lick and clean up everything I have to offer as I let out a loud sigh, my body continuing to roll into her mouth and trembling. I feel her leave one last kiss against me before she scoots up my body so that our faces are now level with each other._

" _How's that for an apology?" She asks smug grin and all._

 _I don't have enough energy to reply so I try and nod, a lazy and satisfied smile gracing my swollen lips._

" _Ready for round two?" I don't even have a second to gather myself or regulate my breathing when Brittany jumps off me to pull her own underwear off and find her place on top of me again. "How do you feel about sixty-nine?"_

"San! Santana!" Sugar's voice pulls me out of my daydream, my eyes looking like a deer caught in headlights, I'm sure.

"Huh! Yeah!" My eyes drift between Sugar and Brittany's, which I can still see in the reflection of the mirror, a shit-eating grin plastered on her face. "What?"

"You lost, Lopez! How could you not think of any other sex position? I can seriously go on for hours with that category," Puck says from his spot behind the wheel.

"Oh, uh, yeah I guess not," I mumble, still flustered from the images of last night flashing through my mind.

"Mhm," Puck hums, "Whatever you say. Want to switch Britt? We're about halfway."

"Yes!" The blonde cheers looking adorable as always. Puck pulls over on the side of the road to get out of the car. Brittany decides that since we've stopped this would be a good time to get out, stretch our legs and take pictures of the scenery. "Hey," she whispers to me. "Call shotgun."

I giggle at her playfulness and know that this will piss Puck off, making it all that much more fun. Plus, of course, I want to sit up front with her, the image of her driving running through my head again. "SHOTGUN!" I yell out of nowhere and run toward the passenger door, as I quickly open it and hop in, immediately putting my seatbelt on.

"What the hell! That was not the deal!" Puck screams as he leans over me trying to undo my seatbelt. His arm is so close to my mouth as he works on the belt, so I bend forward with little effort while he's distracted and give him a playful bite. "Ow!" He screeches grabbing his arm. "You're violent, Lopez!"

I shoot a devilish smirk in his direction. "Should teach you a lesson. Don't mess with me!" I tell him trying to keep up my badass demeanor. He raises his hands in defeat and climbs in the back seat. As Brittany is the last to get situated, she leans across the center console and gives me a wink.

"Nice move, San. I like a girl that can play dirty." It's extremely difficult to not see the double meaning in her chosen words and I know that I look flushed, and Brittany just giggles knowing what her statement did to me. I sigh and look ahead in front of me; this is going to be a long drive.

An hour later we arrive at Deauville, a little town that Camille recommended. Brittany drives around to find a café before we settle by the water for the day. After we are well and fed, we head toward the beach. The weather is perfect to be outside. Luckily, we left early enough to reserve a spot near the water since we heard this is a popular place to be in the summertime. We each set up our towels next to an umbrella just in case we want to take a break from the sun. I pull out the bottle of tanning oil that I brought with me and start lathering up, flashbacks of the time Brittany rubbed suntan lotion on my body, her hands soft against my skin. It's crazy to think how hot that made me just having her hands on my body in a very innocent way. Now, I know the exact feeling of having her hands on every inch of my body in the most intimate way. I continue to rub the oil on my skin, making sure to not miss a spot so that I get an even tan. I roll up my shirt so that I can rest my head against it and lean back, Sugar lying next to me. Puck and Brittany run toward the water the second we get there and are splashing around and throwing the football that Puck picked up on our way. I close my eyes and relax, soaking in the warmth of the sun.

"San," Sugar speaks up from her spot next to me. "What's going on with you and Britt?"

My heart skips a beat thinking about me and the beautiful blonde. "Um, nothing really."

"Bullshit. I saw your face in the car. You were in your own world, and how convenient when Puck picked 'sex positions'." I can practically see the smirk on her face even with my eyes closed. "You guys are totally getting down and dirty all the time, aren't you?" She questions.

My body heats up with the thought of Brittany's naked body and how perfectly her skin feels against my fingertips, and how delicious she tastes in my mouth, and…

"See? That look!" She is now sitting up to face me.

"What look?" I ask innocently.

She quirks an eyebrow at me. " _That_ look. Come on, San! Give me the scoop! I already know you guys slept together. What could be worse? Plus, it looks like you can use a person to talk to."

She's right. It would be nice to talk to someone and with the time difference, it's hard to talk to the one person I would normally go to. I lean up against my elbows, "We've been having sex, like everywhere," I confess.

"Hell yeah!"

"Yeah. And it's fucking awesome!" I exclaim, unable to contain my excitement.

"Did you talk to her about it?" She asks, remembering the last time we spoke.

"We did. I brought it up on the train to Paris. She kind of made it seem like it wasn't a big deal. Like, yeah, we're having sex! It was a very Brittany-like comment."

"What else did she say?" She inquires.

"Basically, that we are attracted to each other and we should have fun and enjoy whatever time we have left continuing to have fun. Let whatever happen, happen," I shrug.

"And you said you were cool with that?" She continues to question.

"Well, yeah. What else was I supposed to say? I really enjoy her company, Sugar, and I didn't want to take a chance of ruining that just because we gave in to our urges." I tell her honestly. "Plus, we totally had sex in the bathroom on the train," I smirk.

"Shut up!"

"Mhmm… And Puck almost caught us. I was freaking out but Brittany being Brittany, totally played it off." Sugar let out a laugh, I'm sure imaging what she could have possibly come up with to talk herself out of that situation. "Last night, actually, after we, you know…" I don't know why I'm suddenly shy about it. "We talked. Like a lot."

FLASHBACK

 _We are both lying on our backs, completely exhausted and out of breath. God, that was amazing. I wish we had been doing that all along! As our breathing regulates, I lean up a little to look at her angelic face. She looks so relaxed and beautiful in this lighting, every freckle on display._

" _Hey, Britt?" She hums a response as she lazily opens her eyes to meet mine. "Can I say something?" She clears her throat and looks at me with concern. I give her a reassuring smile so that she doesn't worry too much. "I think you should go visit your dad."_

 _She closes her eyes and sighs. I'm worried that I've overstepped and want to start apologizing for even bringing it up and ruining this moment but the words are caught in my throat as she speaks up._

" _I'm scared, San," she mumbles, and I can barely hear her. I can see the tears start to well up threatening to escape her mesmerizing blue eyes. I quickly put my hand over hers, desperately wanting to let her know that I am here for her._

" _What are you scared of?" I ask just as quietly as she, not wanting to disturb the quietness in the room._

" _Seeing my dad, meeting his girlfriend," she starts to say as a single tear falls, staining her soft cheek. My finger is quick to wipe it up as I encourage her to continue. "Scared of the memory of my mom being erased in my dad, in my house and in me," she whispers the last part and my heart breaks._

" _Britt," I say but she doesn't move. "Britt," I say a little louder and lift her chin gently so that she is looking into my eyes as I try to pour all I can into one look. "That could never happen. Even if your dad moves on with his girlfriend or someone else, the memory of your mom will always be there. She lives in you Britt, in your heart, and in your dad's heart. That can never be erased."_

 _She gives me a small smile as another tear falls. She doesn't speak but just stares into my eyes and I see them soften further as she continues to stare. I get lost in them and my heart aches at the beauty in front of me and I know that I have just fallen further for this girl. Not just her beauty, because Brittany is beauty personified, inside and out. She breaks our stare and tucks her chin as she moves her head to my shoulder. "Thank you, Santana, for listening to me and just being there for me. You are a really good friend."_

 _Thankfully, she can't see my face as it falls slightly at her declaration of 'good friend' but this is not the time to overthink and be selfish, so I squeeze her body closer to mine and give her a soft kiss on the top of her head. "You're welcome, Brittany. I am always here whenever you need. And for the record, you're a really good friend too."_

"Britt has really opened up to you," Sugar says after listening.

"Yeah. Sugar?" She looks at me waiting for me to continue. "I think I'm in love with her," I confess so quietly as I utter those words for the first time.

She just gives me this knowing smile and puts her hand on my shoulder. "Yeah. I know. Question is, what are you going to do about it?"

I look out into the water and watch Puck and Brittany splashing each other and goofing off. I can clearly see Brittany falling back into the water in a complete laughing fit. I love her. I'm in love with her.

"I need to tell her. Even if she doesn't feel the same, I would never be able to live with myself thinking 'what if'," I tell Sugar with confidence.

"Get your girl, San."

We spend the rest of the day enjoying the outdoors, switching between diving into the water and relaxing on our towels. We even play a fun game of 2 vs 2 football. Of course, I'm on Brittany's team, although I don't think I would have complained much if we were on opposite sides, seeing as that would give me full reign to tackle and be tackled by her. It's later in the afternoon when we pack up our things and start to make our way back to the car. On our way back to Paris, we stop to grab a bite to eat. Once we arrived back at the hotel, Puck leaves to return the car while the rest of us go to our rooms to wash the sand off our bodies and call it an early night. We all have a big day ahead of us seeing as it's our last full day and night on this trip.

I wake up the next morning feeling very rested as I slip out of bed and into a warm shower. I change into shorts and a casual t-shirt, slipping on my tennis shoes since we'll be walking a lot today on our tours. It's the final day in France and our final day on this trip. The last month has flown by, I can't believe it's coming to an end. I think back to everything I have been blessed to have experienced and it has been one of my biggest journeys of life, so far. The places I've seen and the friends I've made are priceless and will remain with me forever. I continue to get ready as I keep reminiscing on all the best parts of this trip, a warm feeling encompassing my entire body. As much as I am going to miss this and everyone around me, I know I'm ready for the next chapter of my life. I throw my hair up into a ponytail and grab my satchel, making sure I have everything I need before I head to the lobby, knowing we need to be down there soon. I make my way to the front of the lobby and see that the rest are already down there waiting as well.

"Morning!" I chirp. Everyone looks refreshed after a good night's sleep.

"Morning!" They greet back simultaneously.

"Do you know where we're headed to first?" Puck asks about our scheduled tour.

"We're going to Champs Elysees first then we go head to the Arc De Triomphe and finish at the Eiffel Tower," I tell them, listing off the places from the itinerary that I've read multiple times and memorized. Yeah, still a nerd.

"The best part of our tour! I brought my camera bag with me to get a lot of footage," Brittany says showing her bag.

Walking outside, we see a huge double-decker bus waiting for us, one of those buses with the top level open for us to see the whole town while driving. I've always wanted to ride on one of these and now I am even more excited for our day ahead. We all get situated, Brittany finding herself next to me with Puck and Sugar in the row directly behind us. Brittany grabs her camera immediately when she realizes that the top of the bus will give her a great view. I love watching Brittany with a camera in her hand. It's like she was born for it, the way she sees the world through the lens is breathtaking.

The bus slows as we near our first destination so we can take in the surrounding area. It parks so that we can walk around the different shops and cafes. We spend the next couple of hours roaming around, walking in and out of shops, picking out souvenirs and in between being 'interviewed' by Brittany. Next, we head to the Arc de Triomphe, one of the most famous monuments in Paris. On the drive, I look out at the scenery and enjoy the stillness I feel in my body with the wind blowing in my face. I make the decision to tell Brittany how I feel at the Eiffel Tower. I know that sounds cheesy as hell, but that's what I've decided will be my grand gesture but with that decision made and the reality of it, panic starts to take over, the stillness now completely gone. I try and shake away that feeling so that I can be present and enjoy everything around me and it only slightly works.

The view of Champs Elysees from the Arc is amazing. I know Brittany is getting great footage today as she continues her 'interview' style video, making us all laugh with her questions. We take plenty of pictures of the monument, as any tourist would, and hop back on the bus for our final destination. As we approach the Eiffel Tower, the first thing that goes through my mind is 'Damn, it's even taller in person!' Our tour guide hands us our tickets to access the top and suddenly I feel my heart start to pound and my palms start to sweat. I am freaking out. How did I not think about the fact that we would be going to the top until now? I feel my breaths become shorter and faster, almost going into a full-blown panic attack when I feel a soft warm hand on the small of my back.

"Breathe, San. It's going to be okay. I'm gonna be next to you the entire time," she says softly to me, successfully starting to calm me down. "And if it gets to be too much, I'll come back down with you, okay?" I nod, not able to trust my trembling voice.

We enter the very crowded lift as it starts to move to head for the top. I feel my palms start to sweat as the time passes but try and remember to keep my breathing even, so I don't embarrass myself and pass out. I mean, there are freaking young kids going to the top. I can do this. After what feels like ten hours, the doors of the lift open and my eyes pop out of my head at the knowledge that we've reached the top and I need to now will my body to remember how to walk. As promised, Brittany doesn't leave my side, one hand still on my back with the camera in her other. I barely take a step when I feel my body freeze, unable to move. I can't get myself to move to the edge and enjoy what I assume is one of the best views I'll ever see in my lifetime.

"Open your eyes. I promise I won't let anything happen to you. You're safe." And with those promising words, I open my eyes not to see the view, but to look back at the one person who has managed to steal my heart. I nod and take another shaky step forward, all while looking Brittany in the eye's, trying to hold on to all her courage. I'm not exactly sure how or when it happened, but I turn my head just slightly and see that I have made it to the edge where they have telescopes lined up for visitors to use. I give Brittany a victorious smile, proud of my progress I've made in just a few minutes. "See? Not so bad. Plus, isn't this view worth everything?"

Yes. Yes, it is. I want to tell her that the view is not the only thing worth being here for right now, but that's for when we've reached ground level. No way I would profess my love to her at this height because what if she doesn't feel the same way? I would have nowhere to run or hide. We take pictures, me wanting the most, just to show my parents and Quinn that I went to the top without dying or fainting because without evidence none of them would believe me. We decide to take the stairs down the last half of the way to enjoy the scenic route. We make it to the bottom, all of us slightly out of breath but all still on a high from the rush of being up there.

This is it. I take a deep breath and turn to Brittany, trying my best to act casual. "Hey Britt, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Yeah, one second," she tells me. "Hey, Puck! Can you grab another battery from my bag? It's on the bus!" She shouts over to Puck. She is fumbling with the battery she currently has, so she can switch it out. She hasn't put the camera down so I'm not at all surprised that she needs a new one this soon.

I see Puck running toward Brittany with what she asked for. Brittany tries to reach out for the battery when Puck pulls back his hand. "What the fuck, Pierce?"

"What?" Brittany says defensively, clearly not sure why he is yelling.

"Why haven't you told us you got in?" He questions waving an envelope in her face. I notice that he isn't yelling because he's angry, but more out of excitement.

"That wasn't for you to see! And I don't know, I just wanted to enjoy this time with my best friends and not think about not seeing you guys for a while," she says through a shrug.

"Come on, dude! You should've told us! I'm so freaking proud of you, Britt!" He says enveloping her in a huge bear hug.

"What are you talking about, Puck?" Sugar asks wanting to be involved in whatever is going on.

"Britt got into the film program in London!"

"WHAT?! Britt, oh my god! Really? How long have you known? We need to celebrate!" Sugar shouts as she joins them in a group hug. At that piece of information, I feel like all hope I had of me and Brittany gets shoved out the door, like the caret being ripped out from under my feet. As they all leave the big hug they were wrapped up in, Brittany turns to me with a look I'm not quite sure how to read. I kick myself into action, realizing I haven't congratulated her.

"Congratulations, Britt! This is an amazing opportunity. I'm proud of you!" I tell her as I embrace her in a warm and strong hug. I feel her let out a breath of relief against me.

"Thanks, San. I'm really excited but also nervous as hell," she says through a shy smile. "Wait, what were you going to talk to me about?"

Shit. I forgot about that, what with all the commotion that Puck bombarded us with and now with this information of Brittany going to London, I can't tell her. I can't be selfish, no, I have to let her go, she needs to go to London without thinking about me or anything that I might say. I smile at her and shrug her off, "Nothing important, Britt. Just wanted to thank you for helping me face my fear up there."

"Oh," she says not fully believing me. "No problem. I knew you could do it."

"Guys! Where are we going? Drinks! We need drinks! We need to celebrate this, Britt," Sugar says.

The bus ride back to the hotel is quiet as I get lost in my thoughts, so happy for Brittany. I can't even imagine where this opportunity is going to take her in the future and it's something she's dreamed of, something she deserves more than anyone.

We get ready and meet back in the lobby to head out for early drinks to celebrate. We find a cute bar near the hotel and sit at an available table.

"First round on me, in honor of my best friend getting into the film program of her dreams! Cheers!" Sugar shouts as we all raise our glass to Brittany.

"So, Britt. Do we ask for your autograph now? Or will you still remember us when you're famous," Puck jokes which elicits a huge laugh out of Brittany.

"Shut up, Puck. I would never give you my autograph because knowing your ass, you would sell that the first chance you got!"

"Yeah. You're probably right! What does everyone want? I got the next round," he says as he gets everyone's order and heads to the bar.

I know I'm being quiet and apparently so does Brittany because she glances at me every chance she gets, although I never make eye contact. I have another drink with them when it becomes too hard to be around.

"Hey, guys. I think I'm going to head back. I have the earlier flight tomorrow morning back home," I tell them not completely lying since my flight is at 7 am. "Congratulations again, Britt."

I hug each one of them, telling them that we should keep in touch when we're back in Lima. I get to Brittany last and pull her into a hug that I wish would never end. I take in her scent one last time, not knowing exactly when I'll see her again. "Thank you, Britt. For everything." I look at her. She gives me a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes like it normally does. "I'm going to miss you. Kick ass in London," I say and leave, not able to stay any longer without tears escaping my eyes.

When I get back to my room, I pack everything, checking around twice to make sure that nothing is left behind. I lay out my clothes and passport for the morning, so I don't forget seeing as I am not a morning person and I have to be up and functioning at an ungodly hour. I slip into sweats and lay on my bed staring up at the ceiling enjoying the quietness of my room. I brush my teeth and wash up and pull back the covers, ready for the night to end. I try not to dwell on the aching feeling in my heart, but it seems to be consuming my every thought. I try and hold on to the fact that I will see her again, one day. But that day seems so far in the future, so far that it almost doesn't exist. I am broken out of my sadness when I hear a knock at my door. I roll my eyes, only now remembering that I forgot to put up the 'Do Not Disturb' sign. I open the door ready to yell at whoever is at my door at this hour, most probably some drunk person knocking at the wrong door. Not the first time that happened to me on this trip. But when I open the door, my mind goes blank, because standing in front of me is Brittany.

We both stand at the entryway, neither making any sign of moving. I want to ask what she's doing here, but my brain stops working as we stare at each other, hesitant to make a move.

"Hi," she finally whispers so quietly as if she's afraid to speak.

"Hi," I respond just as quietly.

She hesitates but moves forward and connects our lips. This kiss, although still intense, doesn't have that playful feel the rest of our kisses have had. It's passionate and slow, it's exploring yet familiar. She doesn't try to move things further along, seemingly content to just be kissing and worshiping each other's mouths. We start to move into my room, the door closing behind us so that we are now standing in the middle, the bed so close yet feeling like the last thing on our minds. Any other time, she would have already had me naked and probably screaming her name, but not this time. This time I feel the energy shift in the room. This isn't who can get the other naked faster. Everything feels different.

She breaks the kiss but keeps her face close to mine, as if she is soaking up everything that is in front of her. She slowly opens her eyes and looks deep into mine. I find something different in her eyes. Not lust, but hesitation and sadness. This isn't the confident Brittany I've grown to love. She takes my hands in hers, never breaking eye contact, as she pulls me slowly toward the bed. I feel her hands tremble in mine, cautious of her every move. She sits and tugs me so that I am straddling her hips. She lifts her head to connect our lips as they delicately brush against mine. Her hands are resting gently on my back holding me in place as my arms wrap around her neck. God, it feels so good to be close to her. Her hands move from my back to my thighs and she lifts so that she is carrying me and turns us around to lay me on the bed, her body never leaving mine. She continues to kiss me never leaving my lips. Normally, she would explore my neck and jaw, but she seems to be content right here, not making any attempt to move from my lips. My hands are rubbing up and down her back as her tongue massages gently against mine. Time seems to slow down as our kisses continue but I feel Brittany hesitate to do anything else. I already know that something has shifted in both of us, I can feel it in the way her lips are moving against mine as if she is trying to tell me something but without words. And I am almost positive that it's exactly what I have been wanting to tell her. She separates herself from me and takes in a deep breath, her eyes opening slowly as they bore into mine. No words are needed because I can see it flowing out of her stunning blue orbs. I want her to know that whatever she is feeling, I am feeling too, my heart swelling with love and fear. I run my hands against her back to comfort her and assure her and slowly flip our positions so that I am nestled between her legs. I bend to close the small gap between us and leave a long and gentle kiss to her forehead. I see her eyes soften at the gesture and her body starts to relax under me. I lean up on my knees, making sure my gaze never leaves hers, and slowly pull my shirt off my body. This isn't about sex. Don't get me wrong, the sex is awesome, but this is so much more than just the physical benefits. I've never been good with my words and expressing emotions, but I need to show her what she means to me and if this is the last chance I'll have, I want to make sure she understands.

As soon as my shirt is off, her eyes divert down my exposed body. They move slowly as if she is taking a mental image of me and normally this would make me uncomfortable but being here in her presence makes me feel a calmness I've never felt before. I lean down to move my lips against hers, not able to take the separation anymore. My hand slips around her hip where her shirt has slightly risen making it possible to feel the warm skin under my fingertips. I move my kisses to her cheek and down to her jawline as I make a path down to her neck. My kisses are soft and delicate and purposeful. I slide my hand that rests on her hip up to feel more skin but it's not enough. I look into Brittany's eyes almost for permission to remove her shirt as she responds with a shy nod. I grab her hand to help her sit up as my hands go to the hem of her shirt unhurriedly removing it up and above her head, and oh god, she's not wearing a bra. Her skin is glowing, and the sight of her bare chest makes my breath hitch. The second our bodies are pressed together, a spark flies. I take my time, as I map every inch of her skin with my lips, starting from her collarbone and moving to the valley between her breasts. As I move further down, her body arches up into me, a low moan threatening to escape her. When I get to the top of her jeans I sneak a glance, silently asking for permission once again. When I get the okay, I delicately start to remove her pants. Once I have them completely off, I continue my initial journey starting from her ankle and up her calf to her knee, worshiping every inch, the entire time keeping my gaze on Brittany, and her on me as she watches my every move, love pouring out of my eyes. Every kiss is a confession of love a confession of adoration, a confession that for now must stay inside.

I finally reach the one area I've been dying for, and the same area I know she has so patiently been waiting to be touched. I nip the corner of the pink boy shorts and start to drag it down with my teeth, switching to my hands once it reaches her knees to remove it the rest of the way. I stay there, not moving as I take in the gorgeous woman lying in front of me, completely surrendering everything she has. I quickly remove my pants as well and crawl up the bed so that my whole body covers hers. She sucks in her bottom lip in anticipation of my next move and without being able to resist any longer I take in her swollen lips between mine, poking my tongue out slightly wanting approval to enter. She parts her lips enough for me to slip in. As we continue our exploration I move my hand down to massage her breast, eliciting another moan. This turns me on even more as I feel the heat between my legs intensify, but I push that to the back of my head. This isn't about getting off, this is about showing her how much I care about her, how much she means to me, and ultimately how big my love is for her.

She starts to squirm under me; I know she needs more. I shift my body down a little so that my face is hovering over her other breast, my left hand still massaging her other. I give it a light kiss before sucking it between my lips and grazing my teeth against it. I can tell how much she is enjoying this by the sounds she is making and the small twitches in her body. God, I love how her body reacts to my touch. It's so addicting to watch and I can't believe I'm so lucky to experience this. Deciding that I have spent enough time adoring her chest, I slide even further down so that I am facing her most intimate part. I can see the wetness coating her center and can practically taste her already. I lick my lips and give her a loving smile before having my first real taste of her sweetness on my tongue. It's a tentative lick but when I move in again I flatten my tongue and move from her entrance all the way to her sensitive center as I suck on her bundle of nerves. Her hips rise slightly from the bed, so I move my hands to rest on her hips settling her back down, each of her legs finding their spot over my shoulder. Her hand moves next to her side gripping the sheets under her and I feel the urge to intertwine my fingers with hers, and without resisting, I take hold of her hand giving it a reassuring squeeze. As much as I am enjoying this and could honestly spend hours down here lapping up the essence of Brittany, the thing I crave most tonight at this moment is to watch her face as I bring her to her tipping point. I leave one last kiss on her center and move back up immediately attaching our lips. We both moan into each other's mouths, her taste on my tongue mixing between us.

"Please, Santana," she whispers against me.

"What do you need, Britt," I ask her soothingly.

"You," she adds, her voice shaky with uncertainty, mixed with pleasure.

It almost feels like the outside world doesn't exist and it's just me and Brittany surrounded by this bubble, in this moment, where there is no heartache or distance or complications. Just me and Brittany. I move my hand to her center, running my fingers through her folds to coat them with her wetness before pushing in only a little.

"Ungh," she groans which stirs me on.

I re-enter her again, going in more until I can't go in further. The way her muscles contract around my fingers, pulsing and massaging as I move in and out of her is the most addictive thing I have ever felt. After a few slow pumps, I add a second finger and hold my place deep inside, enjoying the throbbing before moving again. Her moans become more frequent but not too loud as if she is afraid she will burst the bubble around us. She suddenly wraps her fingers around my wrist stopping all movement and I shoot a glance at her, my eyes wide, afraid that I've done something wrong.

"I want to feel you, too," she says with a smile, clearly noticing the fear written all over my face. I nod in understanding and remove my fingers to take off my underwear. As I shake them off my ankles, I immediately resume my position inside of her as she snakes her hand between us, entering me without hesitation. My body falls against her as we start to breathe into each other's mouths, my movements in her wavering only for a second. We are both moving in and out of each other in a perfect synchronized rhythm and I can feel myself wanting to burst, being so worked up already. I hold off for as long as I can, wanting to come at the same time. I start to work a little harder when I feel her muscles start to contract more, squeezing my fingers inside when we both snap, reaching our desired climax. Our bodies are riding a wave against each other and our mouths are moving against one another in a sloppy kiss. Our breathing is rapid and neither one of us want to move, trying to take in everything that we are both so clearly feeling, wanting to stay in this moment as long as possible.

When we finally start to come down, I remove my fingers first as I hear a whimper escape Brittany at the loss of being filled. She does the same and I quickly roll off her pulling her with me, so she is curled into my body, head resting on my chest and arm draped across my waist, our sweat mixing together. This is the most blissful feeling that I can ever remember feeling. The three words keep replaying in my head and are threatening to seep out of my mouth as my hand mindlessly rubs up and down her back. I don't know how much time passes as we both lay in a comfortable silence.

"Britt," I murmur, not fully trusting my voice but she doesn't respond. "Britt?" I try again and that's when I realize her slow deep breathing. She's asleep. I pull her in even closer, if possible, and grab the blanket at the foot of the bed careful not to disturb her. I leave one last kiss to her temple. "I love you, Britt," I state confidently in a low whisper before falling into a deep and peaceful sleep.

The next morning comes all too quickly. It's still dark outside when I open my eyes, dreading the fact that I have such an early flight. I look over and see the blonde peacefully asleep in the spot next to me. I take a moment to take in all her beauty, the way her chest rises and falls with every breath, the way the sheets are thrown over her waist, leaving her soft pale skin and perfect curves exposed for me to see, before I quietly slip out of bed. I gather my things and take one last look around the room, making sure that everything is packed before I walk over to the pen and paper on the desk and scribble out a quick note. ' _Good luck in London, Britt. You are going to do amazing things one day. Call me if you're ever in back in Lima. -Santana (614) 555-5743.'_ I leave it on the nightstand next to her phone and give her the lightest kiss, breathing her in one last time before turning around and leaving, back to Lima.

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	11. 7 Years Later

**Thanks for the reviews! Hope you enjoy the next chapter :P**

 **Chapter 11: 7 Years Later**

 _ **7 Years Later – Brittany's POV**_

"Cut! Good job everyone! Take a 15-minute break and we'll pick it from the top. We almost got it."

Yup. That's me! Brittany Pierce. Well, Director Brittany Pierce now. After completing my two years at the film program in London, I was lucky enough to work closely with one of my professors. I was his shadow and made sure I soaked in everything he had to offer especially because he was a well-known director/producer in the UK. He took me to Film Festivals, allowed me to work on film sets and even let me sit in on some behind the scenes things for post-production work. And what was even better? All the work was based in London, so I was able to settle down a bit. Lucky for me, he had amazing connections and one day took me completely off-guard when he offered me a job on a new travel show that was going to start filming very soon. I jumped at the opportunity, because who wouldn't? I packed my bags and left on the next flight out to Venice, where the creator, Josh, was living. When I first met him, I thought he was a strange man, creative as hell, but strange. Anyways, he offered me an assistant job, aka his bitch. Yup, that's right, I was _that_ girl on set. Running around and getting coffee for the host and the crew, doing random errands at ridiculous times of the day and basically working non-stop, but at the end of the day I was part of a show that was slowly creating buzz around the world, so I didn't complain. I was 26 and traveling to new places, all while getting paid. Not a bad gig, if you ask me. Well, after a while, being everyone's 'assistant' was getting old and just when I thought I couldn't take it anymore and was ready for my next adventure, the craziest thing happened. Josh asked me to direct the next episode. Me! As a trial run, of course. One episode, one shot. I guess my professor had raved about me to Josh and he thought it was time to see what I got. This was my chance, the big break I was waiting for. The night before my first day behind the camera, I barely slept, my nerves and excitement all getting the better of me but once the camera started rolling the next day, I knew I was home. This was what I was meant to do, this is what I dreamt of as long as I can remember I felt in complete control.

Josh must have thought I did a decent job because I was offered to come on as the main director for the show. So, here I am, 29 and the director for an awesome show, 'Worlds Apart'. It was rated the best travel show in the US, Canada, and the UK last month. Last year, Josh decided it was time for the show to take a different approach, wanting to reel in a younger audience, so, with my help, we hired a young host, Sofia, and made it more about the best places to see and things to eat, rather than the 'history' and 'geography' lesson vibe it had before. That's when the new name of 'Worlds Apart' came about. We are currently in Greece, on a small island. Each shoot takes about 2-3 months, depending on the size of crew we can bring with us. The network always sets us each up in our own apartment style place for those few months. We've been in Greece for about a month now and things are going great. We're on schedule with the shoot, it's August, so any downtime that we have is spent eating amazing food and attending beach parties. Like I said, I can't complain.

"Hey, Britt. How was that last part?"

"It was good, Sof. Maybe at the end turn toward the guy cleaning the fish and then finish up your line looking at the camera," I suggest to her. I couldn't be happier when we decided on the younger feel because up until that point I was surrounded by people at least 10 years older than me. Traveling and being in a new place all the time could get a little lonely especially when there wasn't anyone that I could relate to. So, when Sofia came around, I was beyond excited because now I could have a friend. She's a couple years younger than me and was trying to make it in the modeling world before she was brought in to read for our show. The second I saw her, I knew she was going to be perfect. Did I mention she is also super attractive? I mean, it doesn't hurt that she's hot and we've become close over the past year.

"Okay, yeah. Think that'll look good," she says to my suggestion. "You ready to get back to work, boss?" She winks at me. What a flirt. I roll my eyes back before nodding and calling for the rest of the crew to get back to work.

I love my job, believe me, but the best part after a long ass day on set is coming home, taking a relaxing hot bath with a glass of wine, reading over the next day's shoot schedule. It's a little after midnight when I get home and I'm currently soaking in my bathtub, head leaning back against the wall, glass of wine in hand. That first sip is always the best and I feel my body completely relax. Thankfully, we don't have to be on location until 8 am tomorrow, which for me is considered late these days. I'm starting to feel my skin pruning, usually my cue that it's time to get out. I turn the shower on the finish washing the day off my body before slipping on my comfiest sweats and heading to the kitchen for a refill and maybe something to eat, because, now that I think about it, I can't remember the last time I ate today. I open my laptop as I wait for my food to heat up and look through my emails. As usual, there are a few from Josh with notes for the next few days of shooting and wanting to have a meeting tomorrow afternoon. I quickly reply telling him I can meet him at the café next to our shoot at 2 pm when we break for lunch. I hear my stomach growl as the smell of the food wafts through the kitchen. I make a plate and move to the couch, setting my glass on the coffee table and turning on the tv to catch up on one of the many shows I'm behind on. Not a lot of time to watch, but I try when I can. I know I need to get to bed soon, not wanting to get sucked in too much knowing that I can stay up till tomorrow morning watching. I put my plate in the sink, deciding to deal with it tomorrow and check my emails one last time, seeing the response from Josh and closing it up. I look over to the edge of the counter and see the invitation that has been sitting there for the last two days.

 _Sugar Matta, daughter of Mr. Al and Nancy Matta and Austin Ricci, son of Mr. Gio and Lorena Ricci, request the honor of your presence at their wedding on the ninth of December, two thousand and twenty three at 2 o'clock in the afternoon._

I smile just at the thought. Sugar is getting married, my best friend since childhood is getting freaking married! After our trip, I went straight to London. Sugar came to visit me a couple times while I was there but, and I hate to admit this, I haven't seen her since. It's been years. We try to schedule Skype dates but those have become less frequent over the years. The time difference and my busy schedule make it really hard to keep up with friendships in different time zones. She knows I love her and that she is and always will be my best friend, but I really miss her. If I am even able to go to the wedding, it will be the first time I am back in the states in a long time. We did a shoot there a couple years ago but that was in Hawaii and Sugar was already living in New York. The situation is the same with Puck. He came to visit with Sugar on her first trip but, again, the communication has been sort of non-existent lately. Last I heard, he was moving to New York from Seattle. I guess he had moved to Seattle for a girl he met and when that ended, he was pretty heartbroken, so he needed to get out of there.

Then there's Santana. _Sigh._ Santana. I guess you can say I miss her. A lot. That girl blew into my life like an intense storm at the least expected time. I'm not sure what she's been up to the past 7 years and I don't ask. It's a 'don't ask, don't tell' type of situation. I don't even know where she is or what she's doing. Did she keep in touch with Sugar and Puck? I don't know. Did she finish med school? I don't know. And I'm okay with that, or at least that's what I tell myself.

/

"Morning!"

"Morning, Sof," I greet her as I grab a bagel off the table quickly taking a bite since I skipped breakfast, sleeping in taking priority over food this morning. "You look good. Ready to shoot the beach stuff?"

"Yup! Want to get lunch later?"

"Can't. Josh wants to have a meeting. Told him I can meet up with him for lunch. Rain check?"

"Yeah. I need to do some touch ups with hair and make-up real-quick," she says before skipping off to the little chair set up for her in the corner. The rest of the morning goes without a hitch and we get some great shots of the beach, the lighting being just right. I tell the crew to break for lunch and grab my bag before heading over to the café I've grown fond of over the last month.

"Hi, Miss Pierce," the waiter who has come to know me, greets. "Usual?"

"You know me so well! But can I just have water? I'm waiting on someone."

I pull out my phone to catch up on some emails until Josh gets here.

"Hey, Brittany. How's the shoot going so far? Sorry I wasn't there this morning. I had a couple of meetings to get to," Josh says as he takes a seat across from me.

"It's going well. We're still on schedule to finish up next month."

"Glad to hear it. Well good news that we're on hiatus until the New Year. You excited?" He questions taking a sip of his water.

"I am. I can't remember the last time I had that much time off!"

"I know. Not since working for me, that's for sure. Any big plans?"

"Not really. A good friend of mine is getting married in December in New York, been thinking about going but haven't decided how long I'll stay in town," I tell him. It's true. I don't think I've had this much time off consecutively since college. Ever since receiving the invitation I've been swirling it around in my head about going to New York early and staying with Sugar. Maybe I can help her out with wedding stuff. I don't know how that actually works but whatever I can do to help.

"That sounds lovely. You should go," he says as the waiter comes back around to take our order. "So," he starts as he folds his hands in front of him leaning closer against the table. "I bet you are wondering why I wanted you to meet me?"

"I assumed it was to talk about ideas for the next season," I tell him.

"Sort of. I'm actually working on a new show idea that I wanted to run by you."

"Oh! Awesome! What is it?"

"Well, it would be the same kind of idea but a little different structure. The camera would follow the main talent around while they stay with a local. Kind of like a host family. I want to show the authenticity of different countries and small villages through the eyes of a native," he pitches.

"That sounds really cool! So, it would be shot with one hand held camera?" I ask, curious of his vision.

"That's the vibe I'm going for."

"I like it. I can work with a single camera and it would be cool to work with a smaller crew. Kind of like a journal style," I tell him.

"Actually," he starts and that sparks my interest. "I was hoping you would be the talent… in front of the camera."

And there it is. My eyes widen in shock at his proposition. Me? In front of the camera? "Um, I don't know what to say, Josh. Are you sure you want me?"

"I wouldn't be asking if I didn't. I think you would be perfect for it. You have that girl next door look and you are great with people. You have a great camera presence, even if you don't think so," he continues to praise me listing all the reasons he wants me.

"Wow." I slouched back against my chair trying to wrap my head around this information. "When do you need to know? And what would happen to 'Worlds Apart'?"

"Nothing. I have another director lined up if you choose to take me up on my offer. And you have until the New Year to decide. We leave for Sweden on the 3rd. Take your time Pierce but I really do think this can be a hit," he says before excusing himself.

Holy shit. What just happened? I can't be a star of a show. No way. But then again, this is a sweet opportunity, once in a lifetime type stuff. _Deep breath._ Well, I have until January to decide. I have other things to worry about right now until our shooting schedule is done.

Thankfully, the rest of the day goes quickly, and I actually walk through my front door at a decent time. Enough time to make dinner and enjoy an evening in. I'm not the best cook, but I decide on my go-to meal and start making a quick sauce for my pasta. While the sauce is simmering, I grab my phone and shoot a text.

 _To Sofia: Hungry?_

I grab a bottle of wine off the counter, hell, I need a few glasses tonight after my afternoon with Josh. I check on the garlic bread that is toasting in the oven when my phone buzzes.

 _From Sofia: Starving!_

 _To Sofia: Good. Come over. Made dinner._

 _From Sofia: See you in 10! Need anything?_

 _To Sofia: Nope! Already have the wine poured._

Not even 10 minutes later, my doorbell rings. I greet Sofia and have her sit at the table right away, handing her a glass of wine. I fill up our plates with pasta and garlic bread before joining her.

"It's delicious, Britt," she compliments me. I don't cook often and with the way our schedules are I normally don't even eat at a decent time, so when I do cook it's a treat. Sofia, on the other hand, is a woman with many hidden talents, cooking being one of them. When I do have the chance to have a warm home-cooked meal, it is usually made by her. And I am not complaining, because her food is always delicious!

"Thanks. Not as good as your cooking!" I praise back.

She smiles and lifts her glass to her lips, leaning back against her chair, trying to hide what I think is a blush. "So, what did Josh talk to you about?" She asks, changing the subject.

"Oh my god! I almost forgot. He pitched a new show to me," I start to tell her.

"Okay? And?" She pushes for more information, clearly intrigued.

"And…" I drag out, "And he wants me to be the main host."

Her eyes go wide, and she sets her glass down, leaning forward against the table. "What? Are you serious?"

"I'm very serious."

"Holy shit, Britt! What did you tell him?" I think she is more excited than I am. Well, I think I'm still in a little bit of shock to even show any kind of excitement anyways.

"I told him that I have to think about it."

"What the fuck? Why do you have to think about it? You have to say yes!"

"Calm down, Sof. I don't know if that's something I want to do. My whole career I've spent behind the camera. It's what I love to do and where I belong. What if I'm not good at this?" I start telling her listing off all my insecurities and doubts. "Plus, I'll miss you too much," I add shooting her a wink trying to lighten up the mood a little.

"I'm not going anywhere, dork. We will still be connected by Josh and who knows? Maybe our shows would be in the same places at the same time?" She reaches over the table and takes my hand into hers as she softly brushes her thumb against my palm. "For real, Brittany, I think this would be an amazing opportunity for you and I know you would be great at it." I look into her eyes and see pure genuineness pouring out.

I let out a long sigh. "Thank you. That means a lot, Sof. You do know that if I accept, our shows would be pinned against each other? How would your ego take it if my show gets better ratings than yours?"

"Bring it on, Pierce. You know I'm always up for the challenge," she playfully shoots back making me laugh, my hand still tucked between hers.

"Want to watch a movie?" I ask her, as I slip my hand back and round the table to clear our plates. I drop them off in the sink and turn back to her and see her nod in response.

I pour us another glass and head to the couch flipping through Netflix. We finally decide on a movie that neither one of us have seen and get comfy on the couch. She immediately leans her head against my shoulder as I lift my arm, so she can get closer. Not even 20 minutes into the movie and I feel her head turn so that her lips are against my neck and she starts to leave light kisses. Did I mention that we occasionally hook up? And when I say occasionally, I mean often. Like I said, it gets lonely and when Sofia came on board, we hit it off, and when I discovered that she was also into girls, well one thing led to another and here we are, a friends with benefits type of relationship. Sometimes I worry that she has feelings for me, but I've been more than clear that the last thing I'm looking for is a relationship.

I was in one serious relationship when I was living in London, but when I got hired on as an assistant with Josh, I ended things abruptly. She didn't take it that well, seeing as we were together for over a year. I guess I've never been really good at relationships. I've always been used to moving around and always putting either school or my career first. Since then, no relationships for me. Some random hookups here and there, can you blame me? I'm young and travel to different countries. Ever since I met Sofia, though, I haven't slept with anyone else. I haven't found the need to, plus, I don't have that much free time and Sofia is comfortable and fun, oh and did I mention she's hot?

She starts to suck at my pulse point, but I don't make any attempt to move, I like to give her a hard time. Teasing is just as much fun as the pleasing.

"Sof," I say trying to keep my voice steady, "Sofia. This is an intense part."

I hear her grunt against my neck as I try to contain the laugh that is crawling up my throat. She is so easy! She backs away from me and moves to the furthest part of the couch so that there is a huge gap between us and I see her cross her arms across her chest from my peripheral. She huffs, and I lose it, the laugh finally escaping me.

"What's so funny?" She says, still clearly pissed off. I like when her feisty side comes out, especially when it's because of something I did, or in this case, didn't do.

"You."

"Oh yeah? And why am I so funny?" Her anger is growing, and she starts to make that face I find so cute. Her eyebrows are scrunched and her pout on full display.

I move closer to her and immediately start kissing her, even though she makes no effort to kiss me back, her arms still crossed where my body is pressed against her. "You really think I was watching the movie while you so expertly kissed my neck?" I ask against her lips that are still glued shut.

"No. I don't know? I thought you were serious!" She says as she tries to push me away, but I stand my ground.

"Nope. Not serious. Now start kissing me back, woman!" That does it. She giggles and finally uncrosses her arms and wraps them around my back and starts moving her lips against mine. Things move quickly from there and within a few minutes, we are both naked on the couch panting against each other's mouths.

/

"Want to spend the night?" I ask her. She is lying on top of me, head tucked under my chin as my fingers graze her bare back, our breathing finally back to normal.

"Yeah. I can't move," she mumbles into my skin.

"I'm that good, huh?" I tease her, never missing an opportunity.

"Shut up. You know you are. Especially that thing you do with your tongue? Fuck," she says, her voice raspy and exhausted.

"Come on, lazy. I'll carry you. We need sleep. Preferably in a bed." I pick her up and I hear her giggle against me. We reach my room as I drop her on my bed and move to my dresser to grab something for us both to sleep in. I toss her some shorts and a t-shirt before grabbing some for myself and head to the bathroom to wash up. I'm brushing my teeth when I hear Sofia calling my name.

"Hey, Britt?" I pop my head out of the bathroom, toothbrush still in my mouth. "Who's Santana?" She asks looking at a piece of paper in her hands. I quickly spit out the remaining toothpaste before sitting next to her on the bed, taking the paper from her.

"A friend," I tell her. "Where'd you find this?" I ask looking at the note. It's been seven years since that night. I remember waking up in the morning to an empty bed and a simple note left on the nightstand.

"It was in your drawer. Sorry, I was looking for a charger and remember you grabbing one from in here. I wasn't snooping, promise."

"I didn't think you were snooping. It's just, I forgot about this note. That's all," I continue to stare at Santana's cute handwriting. The note isn't some girly note professing an undying love or anything like that; just a good friend wishing another good friend luck. But the night leading up to this note was probably one of the best nights of my entire life. I never did call Santana. Not that I didn't want to. There were a few times when I first got to London where I thought about calling or sending a text to see how she was doing.

"Earth to Britt!" Her hand waves in front of my face snapping me out of my daze. "You okay?"

I clear my throat. "Yeah. I'm good. Just reminiscing."

"About what?"

"About the summer after college. Me and a few of my close friends decided to go on this month-long Euro-trip," I tell her briefly. "It was epic. I have some cool footage I edited when I got back. I'll show you sometime," I say.

"I'd love to see it. Ready for bed? I'm so tired and we have an early day tomorrow," she says as she pulls back the sheets and gets in. I turn off the lights and get in on the other side. I stay staring at the ceiling, the words of Santana's note replaying in my head. It's crazy that I hadn't thought about it in years but now I can't seem to stop. What would have happened if I called her after Paris? Would we have kept in touch? I barely can keep in touch with Sugar and Puck, why would Santana be any different? I close my eyes, forcing myself to sleep, the beauty of Santana's face the last image I see.

/

"Reset! Let's take it again from the top!" I shout trying to hide my frustration. For some reason, Sofia can't get the last two lines right. "Hey, Sof. Can I talk to you for a second?" She comes over to my spot behind the camera.

"I know. I know. I don't know what's wrong with me, but I can't get those lines right," she quickly says already knowing what I wanted to talk about. I know she's frustrated too and I soften a bit feeling her pain.

"It's okay. Want to run it through with me?" I ask her, hoping that I can calm her down and get her to focus. We run the lines a few times and I think she's got it, so I call the crew to make sure everyone is in place. I try not to be too hard on any of them but when we shoot on location, the lighting is everything and I need this shot before the sun sets completely. Luckily, Sofia nails it. "Good take. Think that was it!"

After the little hiccup with Sofia's lines, the rest of the shoot goes smoothly, and we wrap up the night shoot a lot earlier than expected. I walk in my apartment, throw my bag on the couch before taking a quick shower. I take out the leftovers from yesterday, not even bothering to heat it up and start digging in. I open my laptop to check my emails as usual and see one from Sugar. Intrigued, I open it and see a video message attached. I open it and see Sugar's face. I miss her so much!

"Brittany! I've been meaning to call you, but this wedding stuff is crazy! I feel like I don't have any time for anything anymore and like the wedding is just around the corner and there's so much left to do and… You don't want to hear about this! Anyways, I miss you, Britt! I wanted to call to make sure you got the wedding invitation. I wasn't sure where to send it, but your dad was very helpful. He misses you too, by the way. Also, I don't know what your schedule is like, I know it's always crazy, but I was really hoping you can come to the bachelorette party! My maid of honor put it together. It's going to be the weekend before the wedding, Saturday, December 2nd. I know that's close to the wedding and maybe you won't be able to take that much time off, but I really REALLY hope you can! Also, you are invited to the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding. Don't worry about getting a hotel! You have to stay with me. I have a guest room with your name on it. I love you, Britt!"

Sugar is just as crazy as I remember. I can't believe the timing of everything. The first time that I actually have time off, Sugar decides to get married. What are the chances! I immediately look for flights, I know I won't be able to miss this. I book my trip for Friday and decide to not worry about a return flight yet. I send Sugar a reply letting her know that I will be there and that I can't wait to see her. New York City, here I come!

 **Follow, review, follow, review! :P**


	12. Forever Friends

**Happy Sunday! Here's the next chapter. Don't forget to review :P**

 **Chapter 12: Forever Friends**

 _ **October 2023**_

We made it! The final day of our shoot in Greece. To say that I'm excited is an understatement. I'm fucking ecstatic! Vacation, time-off, I don't think I remember what these words mean, and I get to have it starting in about 12 hours. That's it, 12 hours! Keeping that in mind, my body wakes up even before my alarm has a chance to blare through my apartment. I know I'm walking around with more of a pep in my step. This shoot has been long, longer than most. Our schedule even got pushed back a couple of weeks. We had some issues with weather and Sofia getting sick, all things that are bound to happen but when they happen all at once? It can be stressful. Nonetheless, we made it. I jump in the shower, brush my teeth, toast some bread and I'm out the door.

"Morning guys! Morning Sof! Last day. Who's excited?" I greet everyone as I pour myself a large cup of hot coffee.

"Very excited!" Sofia says filling a cup for herself as well. "Josh wanted me to tell you that he changed our wrap dinner to tomorrow night. He stopped by for a second but had to leave."

"Cool. Let's grab drinks tonight," I tell her, and she nods in approval. The fact that we can go out and not worry about an early shoot or an 18-hour day is weird, but I love it.

Oddly enough, the day goes flawlessly, and I give each crew member a hug before bidding them farewell to go home and get ready for a nice and relaxing night out. My doorbell rings while doing my makeup so I put the mascara down and run over to open it.

"Come in, Sof. I'm almost ready! Want to pour us a drink? I have a bottle of vodka chilling in the freezer," I tell her before running back to my bathroom to finish up my makeup.

She comes in couple minutes after setting a shot glass down on the bathroom counter. "Cheers!" She says raising her glass to me.

"Cheers. To another great shoot!" I toast, and we knock back the shot. She hops on the counter and watches me.

"I'm excited to go out. Feels like we haven't been out in forever! Where were you thinking about going?" She asks as her legs swing, and her eyes examine my movements closely.

"I was thinking we can grab dinner at that restaurant on the beach that you like, then go to the club next door. They always have good music. What do you think?"

"Sounds good to me! I want to dance."

We take one more shot before heading out. I've been to this restaurant probably 15 times since being in Greece and it gets better each time. Sofia loves it too, so it's a win-win! After enjoying a delicious meal, we head over to the club. This place is so cool, so different than anything you would find in the states. It's set right on the beach with white couches everywhere. Sofia pulls my hand toward the bar the second we walk in, ordering us a round of shots and then dragging us to the music. The music scene is different in Greece as well. They are always flying in internationally famous DJ's and I've really grown to love the music. It feels so good to let loose, dance and not have any worries for the next day's responsibilities or the craziness of life and work. I can see Sofia's face resembling mine, carefree as she moves her body perfectly to the rhythm of the beat playing behind us.

A couple of hours later, both exhausted and danced-out, we head back to my place for a nightcap. Tonight is about celebrating and that's exactly what I plan to do. We stumble into my apartment, both feeling the alcohol but not drunk, our bodies finding each other's like two magnets. It's not like this hasn't happened before, in fact, it's happened a shit ton over the last year, I can't even count how many times. In between us kissing and moving toward my room, Sofia pulls away leaving only enough room to speak. "I had a great time tonight, Britt."

I hum against her lips to let her know, that I did too. "We're about to have even more fun now," I tell her flirtatiously as I pull her bottom lip between my teeth, eliciting a delicious moan which stirs me on further.

"Yes, we are," she says with that hungry glint in her eye I've grown so accustomed to seeing. Clothes are flying in every direction, our bodies finding the bed quickly as we roll back and forth both fighting for dominance that neither one of us are willing to relinquish. I back off just a little as her body finds comfort on top of me, receiving a victorious smirk but when she least expects it I wrap my legs around her waist flipping us so that my body slips between her legs.

"I win," I whisper seductively against her ear and I hear a sigh come from under me.

"For now," she says a devilish smirk returning to her face as her hand snakes between our bodies, her fingers slipping through my heated center. My body bucks into her. No way. I'm supposed to be in control right now but the way she is moving against me, I can feel myself slipping more and more. Before I completely get lost in her touch, I take her nipple into my mouth biting it playfully the way I know she likes it. Aggressive but sweet. It falters her movements against me for only a second, but she must have more willpower tonight because she continues her assault and is driving her fingers into my center, hitting my spot deep within with each thrust.

"Fuck," I moan against her chest.

"Feel good?" She husks. I feel her hips thrusting up against me trying to release any tension she is feeling as she pleasures me. "And you thought, _oh god,_ you were gonna top, _mm,_ me."

No way. I move my hand quickly down her body, appreciating the way her toned abs feel against my palm before I slip a finger into her more than ready center.

"Unghhh," she moans her thrusts becoming sloppy for a second. "Yes!" I feel the sweat mixing between our bodies as we continue to thrust into each other, our pace increasing as we bring each other higher and higher. I feel the heat building and I know I'm going to come any second. I know she's close too if the way her muscles are squeezing against my fingers is any indication. Two more well-placed drive of our fingers and we are both tumbling off the edge in pure ecstasy.

"Yeah, I think we get better every time," she says her breaths still uneven as we both lie on our back basking in our post-orgasmic state.

"Hell yeah, we do."

/

We are now both dressed and sitting on the couch, drinking tea. Sofia sits with her legs tucked under her and faces me.

"So, what's next, Britt?" She asks me as she takes a sip.

I shrug. "I don't know," I chuckle. "It's weird, you know? What do people do when they have time off? Our jobs are far from normal."

She laughs, "You're right. It isn't."

"Actually," I start. "My best friend from high school is getting married in December. I'm thinking about going to that."

"Really? That'll be fun!" She says genuinely.

"Yeah. I'm excited. Plus, I haven't met the guy yet. Need to make sure he's good enough for her," I tell her through a chuckle. "What about you?"

"I'm going to visit family. Which is just in time to be with them for the holidays. Can't remember the last time I was home for Thanksgiving, or Christmas or anything." She says. "Where's the wedding?"

"It's in New York."

"Shut up!" She screams.

"What?" I ask curiously.

"I'll be in New York, too! That's where my family lives. We should meet up while you're in town," she suggests. I nod and take a sip of my tea happy that I'll have a friend nearby. Even though I'm going to be there for Sugar's wedding and I'm sure Puck will be there as well, it has been so long since I've seen any of them and sometimes I feel like it's a whole new world, a foreign world.

"Definitely."

"What about after the wedding? Are you going to visit family, too? Actually, now that I think about it, I've never heard you talk about them. Where are you from?"

I shrug. She's right. I don't talk about my family, ever. "I'm from Lima, a small town in Ohio," I answer vaguely, not really interested in discussing this more.

"Okay… and are you going to Lima?" She pushes.

"Haven't thought about it. Maybe." My dad reaches out to me often, either through email or calls, and I answer and talk to him, but I haven't gone home since I left for London. Not even for his wedding. I was working on a strict schedule in Switzerland and couldn't have time off, plus, it wasn't something I was dying to go to. "Want more tea?" I ask her, hoping to change the subject. Come to think about it, the last time I opened up about anything related to my family was with Santana. I don't know what it was about her, but she just always made it feel like a safe place to talk, without being judged.

"No, I'm good. I should head home. It's getting late. Thanks for tonight, Britt," she says as she stands up to set her mug in my sink. I walk her to the door, tell her I'll see her tomorrow at the crew dinner, and lock up, switching off all the lights and tucking myself into bed. Sleep doesn't come easy, thoughts about my dad and my mom swirling around in my head. I miss my mom so much. Sometimes I wonder if she were still alive if things would be different. I know she would want me to follow my dreams, whatever they may be. I remember her always saying, "Always follow your dreams, sweetheart and do what makes you happy in life." All the thoughts that I have worked so hard to push down the last few years are all starting to surface, and I can't help but wonder if this wedding is bringing up so much of my family. Maybe it's also the fact that I have so much time off and have no choice but to slow down. And slowing down means more thinking since I guess I tend to use work as a distraction. It keeps my mind busy. I roll around for I don't even know how long before sleep finally takes over.

/

"I just want to give a huge congratulation to everyone on an incredible season! I know you all have worked very hard, and we've had some rough days, but we made it. I think this will be one of our best seasons yet. And to Brittany and the crew, amazing work, guys. Cheers!" Josh toasts. We have everyone together celebrating our season wrap. I'm sitting between Sofia and Josh at the table and everyone is chatting away as we eat this delicious meal the chef specially prepared for us.

"Have you given any thought to what we talked about?" Josh leans over and asks.

I give him a pointed look, "You said I had until the New Year."

He laughs, "I know, but I also know you. I'm sure you've been thinking about it, at least a little."

"What if I told you that I'm leaning more towards accepting," I tease him. I know it sounds crazy, but I really do think this could be a great opportunity and experience for me. Plus, the fact that I get to continue working with Josh and be a creative partner with him is a bonus.

"I would say that you would be making the correct decision," he says. "I'm going to take that as a yes but I'll wait for an official answer. I already have the contracts written up, just missing your signature."

We enjoy the rest of the night, sharing stories, laughs, drinks and good food before we all head home.

The next month flies by and some of the crew, at least the ones who are still here, are able to get together to celebrate Thanksgiving at my place. Thanks to Sofia's kitchen skills, the food we eat that night is delicious and a huge success. The bond that we've all created is a magical thing. Everyone understands what it's like to be away from family and loved ones, especially around the holidays, so it's always extra nice to have times like this. After Thanksgiving, everything starts moving quickly. I spend my days packing up my apartment, putting the things I don't need into boxes to ship back to Lima and the rest into a suitcase since I'll be in New York for at least a week.

Sofia is over helping me pack, returning the favor since I helped her as well.

"Box or trash?" She asks showing me a can opener from the kitchen drawer.

"Trash. I think it's broken anyway."

"When is your flight again?" She asks as she follows me to my bedroom to finish up everything in there. Luckily, the apartments that the network provides us with are furnished with the essentials: bed, dressers, couch, tv's, so I need to worry about any furniture being shipped or moved.

"Tomorrow afternoon. Remind me again why we aren't on the same flight?" I ask her as I grab the drawer from the nightstand and empty it on the bed.

"I'm meeting a friend in Paris for a couple of days then flying home."

"Oh, that's right," I say as I rummage through the crap that built up in the drawer over the last few months. "Think this is all trash." Sofia brings over the bag and starts to toss everything inside when I see the note again. "Wait!" I quickly say and grab the note. I fold it up and put it in my wallet.

"What's so special about that note?" Sofia asks as she moves around my room to continue packing.

How do I answer that question? I don't really know what is so special about it. The fact that it's from Santana, is one thing. The fact that it was left on my side table after an extra special night spent together, is another. If you asked me seven years ago what was going on, I would've told you that we were friends, just friends, who happened to enjoy having sex. We were traveling all around Europe as young 22-year old's, the key word here being, young. What did we know about feelings anything bigger than what we experienced? Was there something more going on than what I thought? Maybe. But I don't like to dwell. Plus, Santana is a smart and beautiful girl, I'm sure wherever she is today that she is probably a successful doctor and who knows, maybe even married. "It was a special time of my life. And this is a reminder of that time," I say simply. She doesn't question it further and we continue packing up the rest of my apartment.

We are both exhausted, all my boxes lined up and ready to be picked up and shipped out, my luggage is packed and waiting by the door. I pour us a glass of wine to relax after a tiring day and to just spend some time with the girl who has become my best friend.

"I'm really glad I took this job and met you, Britt," she says raising her glass to me.

"Me too, Sof. You saved me," I say through a laugh. "Do you know how hard it was to be around a bunch of guys who could be my dad?" I joke. "We're going to see each other in New York, right?"

"Duh, I need to make sure you get the best pizza in town."

"Of course," I turn to her, so she can see the seriousness in my face. "Thank you for being my friend, Sof."

/

I'm at the airport, waiting for my flight, which luckily is on time. I have my iPad fully charged and loaded with all the essential Disney movies for the long flight. They call us to board and I feel the nerves start to grow. Weird. I know. I travel for a living and have been on so many flights I can't even count, but this trip is different. This isn't a trip to an unknown location for work. I'm going back to the states to see my friend. I don't even know if these are anxious nerves or excited nerves. Maybe a combination of the two.

The flight is long and as we get closer I feel the excitement start to take over. I sent a text to Sugar letting her know when I would be landing and not to worry about picking me up from the airport, that I would just take a cab and come straight to her place in Manhattan, which she insisted on. After landing, I go to baggage claim to grab my luggage and head outside to hail a cab. Holy shit, it's cold here! I almost forgot what the cold was like. Back home in Lima, we would get cold winters, but it's been so long since I was in an environment like this that the second I walk outside it kind of just slaps me in the face. Welcome to New York, Britt. I'm happy she chose to do a wedding in December because of all the Christmas decorations that are up around the city and in Time Square. I can't wait to explore around the city. Also, another bonus about New York? The number of cabs, so tracking one down, especially at the airport, is easy. The cab driver hops out and helps me with my bags. So friendly! I give him the address and we are off. I watch as we drive through the city and see the snowfall they must have recently received. It's a good thing it wasn't snowing now or else I would have for sure been delayed and could've even missed the bachelorette.

Forty-five minutes later and I've arrived. I step out of the cab and look up to this building that looks straight out of a movie. I knew Sugar had done well for herself, opening an art gallery, but this place looked like a palace. I walk inside and see a doorman waiting to greet me.

"Hello, Miss. How can I help you?" He greets me kindly.

"I'm here to see Sugar Motta," I tell him still in awe of this place. The lobby is even more beautiful than the outside. To the corner, there is a tall Christmas tree fully decorated. The floor is all marble with a small seating area.

"Yes. She told me she was expecting a guest today. Your name?"

"Brittany. Pierce," I tell him.

"Of course. Let me get the elevator for you. You are going to take it up to the top. Miss Motta is in the penthouse," he directs me as I enter the elevator and give him a smile, still trying to wrap my head around this.

As the elevator doors open, I step out my luggage rolling behind me and see a hallway with a single door at the end. Does Sugar have the whole damn floor?

I look between the doorbell and the door, not sure which one to use, before deciding on the bell. I stand there waiting patiently before I hear a voice yell, "Coming!"

"Ahhhhh! Brittany!" Sugar screams as she yanks me into a hug so tight I barely can breathe. I wrap my arms around her once I regain my balance and squeeze her just as tight. "Oh my god! I'm so happy you're here!"

"Me too!"

"Come in," she says grabbing the handle of my luggage from my hand and dragging me inside.

I look around her place and get lost in amazement as I take in the entryway. "Holy shit, Sugar. You live here?"

I hear her laugh, "Yup! Can you believe it? This is my home! Sometimes I wake up and look around and I can't even believe it."

"It's fucking absolutely gorgeous, and massive. How big is this place?"

"It's two stories. And we have the roof which is just ours. Wait until you see it! Austin has a whole setup up there with couches and firepit. It looks even better in the winter with the snow coating the ground."

"Can't wait."

"How was your flight? Can I get you anything? Hungry? Thirsty? Do you want to see your room? Need a shower?"

"Slow down, Sugar. Actually, a shower sounds nice. After that long ass flight, I can use it. And then it's you and me, we need to catch up," I tell her before pulling her into a hug again. I can feel her body buzzing with excitement. "I really missed you."

"I missed you too. Follow me!" I walk behind her as we walk further inside. "This is the formal living room and the kitchen, help yourself to anything, and down this hallway is the room you'll be staying in. You have your own bathroom in there too and fresh towels. Get situated and freshened up," she tells me. The more of the house I see, the more my eyes pop out of my head. And damn, this view from my room is out of this world. I take a quick shower and organize some of my clothes before heading back down the hallway to the kitchen where I can hear movement, assuming Sugar is there.

"How was your shower? Have everything you need?" She asks as she reaches up to grab two wine glasses.

"Yup. Thanks, Sug," I tell her. "And I am so ready for that glass of wine."

/

"I can't believe you're here! When I sent you the invitation, I wasn't sure you were going to make it," she says as I take a sip. Damn, that's good wine.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," I tell her truthfully. If I didn't have the time off, I was going to try anything I could to be here but I'm so happy how everything worked out. "So, tell me everything! I don't think you ever told me how you guys met. And how the hell did you score a place like this?"

"Before I get into all that, tell me about you! How's the show? You know I watch every week. It's like our favorite show."

"You're the best. Um, we just finished our last episode for the new season in Greece. And now we have a few months off. The show has a hiatus while we wait to get picked up for another season, which I'm so excited for," I start to tell her.

"Wow. You actually have time off? What the hell are you gonna do with all that time?" She laughs because she knows better than anyone, that I don't like downtime.

"I'm here, for starters, so that's a plus. Other than that, I'm not sure."

"Are you seeing anyone?" There it is. Leave it to Sugar to dive right in.

"No, I'm not. You know I don't have time for stuff like that," I tell her honestly. The times we do get to talk, she always asks about my relationship status, and every time I give her the same answer.

"I know," she sighs. "But don't you want that, Britt?"

I shrug, "I don't know what I want. I like what I'm doing right now and I'm young. This is the time to do it."

"We're not that young," she adds.

I wave her off, "What about you? Tell me about Austin. When do I get to meet this guy? He needs to pass the friend test first."

"Shut up. He has passed the friend test, by the way, but you're right he needs to pass the _best_ friend test now," she says with a wink. "But if he fails, I'm still marrying him. I actually met him through a friend. She took me to her company holiday party and introduced me to Austin. He and his family own a bunch of buildings in New York. And we hit it off and have pretty much been dating ever since."

"I'm really happy for you," I tell her. "Are all your friends rich now? Your fiancé owns buildings, your friend has holiday parties with fancy people attending, who are you?" I joke.

"Funny thing," she starts, and I listen closely curiosity spiking, "she's also my maid of honor."

"Oh, nice! So, I'll be meeting her tomorrow?" I ask.

"You'll definitely be meeting her tomorrow," she gives me an odd look and I can't understand why. "But you've met her before."

"Okay? Who is it?" Why is she being so mysterious about this? We grew up together, who can this person be that I can't even think of them?

"It's Santana." And my eyes go wide.


	13. Bachelorette

**Thank you for the reviews! So happy you guys are enjoying. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy and review!**

 **Chapter 13: Bachelorette**

" _It's Santana." My eyes go wide._

Santana? Like, Santana, Santana? Santana Lopez, Santana. Holy shit. Since when are they so close that she is the maid of honor?

"Brittany!"

"Huh, yeah, what?" _Get your shit together, Brittany. Breathe. It's not that big of a deal._ "Sorry, that just took me by surprise, but that's awesome! I didn't know you guys were that close?" _Yeah, act casual._

I completely miss the smirk on Sugar's face, but hello, I'm still in shock. I don't even know why I'm in shock. Maybe it's the fact that I haven't seen Santana in seven years, and I definitely wasn't expecting to see her at the wedding. Also, not to mention, the fact that we did sleep together, and haven't spoken since. Will it be awkward? I hope not. Not that it meant anything, or maybe it did? I don't know. "After Paris, I told you that I went back to Lima to stay with my parents, well, so did Santana and we kept in touch. We both moved to New York around the same time and ended up living like 5 minutes away from each other, so we became really close and have been ever since."

"That's crazy that you never mentioned it once during our conversations." How the hell did she keep this important piece of information from me all these years? I guess I didn't help the situation. Now that I think about it, we talked about everything except Santana, I guess I sort of avoided it like the plague and I'm not sure I ever thought about why I did.

"You never really asked and it didn't come up. What was I supposed to say, Britt, oh, by the way, me and Santana are BFF's now?" She laughs.

"Yeah, you're right. So, what does Santana have planned for us for the bachelorette?"

"I don't know details, but I know she got us a place for the night and that we have a spa day set up for us tomorrow. After that, I have no idea."

I'm sure whatever she has planned will be fun. The question I'm itching to ask is if Santana knows I'm here, but I resist the urge to not raise suspicions with Sugar.

/

"Oh my god! Are you serious?"

"True story!" I tell her. We've been exchanging stories about our lives over the last seven years for the last two hours. "I actually ate a fresh still-beating heart straight from a snake. It was insane!"

"Sometimes I'm jealous of your life, Britt."

"Yeah. It's not too bad. But your life doesn't sound so boring either! You have this kick-ass art studio and a fiancé that, based on the story you just told me about your first date, I'm surprised even asked you to marry him," I joke.

"Oh, trust me! We talked about that night for months! It was a disaster, Britt. Like, you don't even know, nothing went right. But it's a good story and I'm sure Santana will mention it in her speech. She was the first person I called. I was totally freaking out! She had to talk me off the ledge. I swear I sounded like a crazy person," she says as her giggles grow to a full-on laugh.

"I'm really glad she's been there for you. I think that's what I struggled with most; not being able to be around for you guys or just talk to you guys all the time. We've been attached at the hip pretty much since we were six years old! I'm just really happy I'm here for the biggest day of your life," I tell her.

"Me too, Britt. Wow, I can't believe what time it is! It feels like you just got here," she says after looking at the time.

"Yeah. Let's head to bed. Sounds like we have a big weekend ahead of us. Love you, Sugar."

"Love you too, Britt. Goodnight! Let me know if you need anything."

The next morning, after taking a quick shower, I make my way to the kitchen where Sugar already has a little spread set out for us.

"Morning. How'd you sleep?" She asks while handing me a champagne glass.

"I slept great. We starting the party already?" I ask her, accepting the glass from her and taking a sip of champagne.

"Hell yeah, we are! It's my bachelorette party!"

"So, what's the plan?" I make myself a bagel and put some fruit in my plate, taking a place on a bar stool at the island counter.

"Everyone should be here in a couple hours and I think we're taking a limo to the place we're staying at."

My heart races a little and I account it to nerves of seeing Santana, and about meeting the other people that Sugar considers close these days. It's weird feeling like the outsider but I have grown accustomed to meeting new people, so this shouldn't be a problem.

After breakfast, we both get ready and wait for everyone to arrive. The first two girls that get there work with Sugar, one is her assistant and the other manages the studio. They are young and seem cool.

"Sugar! Let's pop some bottles!" Yeah, we're gonna get along just fine.

I'm talking to the girls, getting to know them, when the doorbell rings. Each time it rings, I'm on high alert, patiently waiting for Santana to arrive. Who walks in shocks me, because that is definitely not Santana.

"Hey, Britt. Do you remember Quinn from High School?" Quinn? I knew she was best friends with Santana, but I didn't know that she was close to Sugar. What the hell did I miss all these years?

"Of course!" I say giving her a hug. "How are you?"

"I'm good. It's good to see you! I've heard a lot about the show you've been working on," she says. I assume she's heard about it through Sugar.

"All good things, I hope."

"Absolutely. I've watched a few episodes, too. It's a really cool show," she compliments.

"Thank you. Champagne?" I ask her while handing her a glass that was poured.

"Please!" She giggles.

"So, what have you been up to since High School?"

"I'm a Partner for a Law Firm here in the city," she tells me. I'm not even surprised. Quinn was always a smarty-pants.

"That's incredible. What kind of law do you practice?"

"We mostly do Corporate Law. It doesn't sound too fun, but I like it, and it pays the bills," she jokes.

We get to talking more and I learn that she's married and has a two-year-old daughter. She shows me pictures, and she is the cutest kid I've ever seen, like, seriously she is a mini Quinn. "So, this is like a weekend getaway for you?"

"You have no idea. I work a lot and the free time I do have I'm home with this cutie and my husband," she laughs. I make sure everyone has a fresh glass of champagne when I hear a knock at the door. I look around to see where Sugar is but can't find her anywhere.

"Can someone get the door!" I hear her shout from somewhere, who knows from where. I guess I'm the only one that hears her because no one makes an attempt to move, so I make my way to the door and open it without thinking twice. I assume whoever it was would be confused as to who I am.

I open the door and my eyes literally pop out of my head. Because standing in front of me, looking more gorgeous than ever, is Santana Lopez. But the crazy thing is, her reaction seems to mirror mine.

"Brittany."

"Santana." We both say at the exact same time still frozen in our spots. I don't even try to hide my attempt to take in her appearance. After all these years, she's just as beautiful as I remember. She looks more mature, like a woman but still like the young Santana I grew to cherish all those years ago. Her hair is down and in its natural waves, her makeup subtle and light and I just can't stop staring.

I shake myself to speak, or move, or do anything really. "Sorry! Um, come in," I manage to say.

She doesn't say anything but makes her way inside as I close the door behind her. I snap out of it and turn to her a huge smile on my face before I pull her into a hug. "It's so good to see you, Santana."

I feel her hug me back and take a deep breath. "It's good to see you, too."

"Yay! Santana, you're here! Okay, that's everyone!" Sugar shouts running into the living room by the entrance making us both jump in surprise out of the hug. Sugar gives her a hug and shoves a glass in her hand before dragging us back to the kitchen to join the rest. I'm quiet, still in shock of seeing her, and even more in shock at her reaction. Fucking Sugar didn't tell her I was coming? Why would she keep that from her? Santana leans into Sugar and whispers something, not loud enough for me to hear, making me curious. It makes me even more curious when Sugar just smirks back at Santana without a response. Santana looks a little irritated but seems to push it down and puts a smile back on her face, although I don't immediately buy the genuineness of it.

"So, since we're all here, I just wanted to say a quick toast before we start my last weekend as an unmarried woman! I love each and every one of you for being here and celebrating with me. And I'm so happy to have all my favorite gals in one room together. Finally!" She says and raises her glass. "Drink up!"

We polish off the bottle before heading into the limo, where naturally another bottle was opened. I'm settled in between Sugar and her assistant as we make our way to the spa Santana had booked for us. I haven't had a chance to really talk to Santana yet. Some small talk here and there but mostly we are talking in a group. We arrive at the spa and are all handed a robe to change into before heading into a room for our massage. It might not sound like the most fun thing to do, but damn, this feels so fucking good. Plus, this is just the beginning. I'm sure we have something fun in store for later. After two hours, all of us leave feeling renewed and refreshed, and ready to party the night away. We take the limo to the penthouse Santana rented for us and this place is gorgeous. It's nothing like Sugar's house, but pretty close. The entire living room is decorated in everything penis and it's fucking hilarious. The balloons, the straws next to the cups, the tablecloth, everything.

Santana makes sure everyone is seated before bringing a bottle of vodka and placing it on the table.

"Welcome everyone, to Sugars Bachelorette Party. So, as promised, we are here to make sure you have the best weekend, preferably with little memory of the events that are about to happen," she giggles. _How I've missed that laugh. No, Britt. Focus._ "First up, we're going to play a few games. Then we have dinner reservations and then we're going out!"

The first game we play is 'Pin the Dick on the Dude' as we had a round of shots. I don't think I've seen so much man parts in my entire life! Ironically, Santana wins that game which makes all of us laugh and in turn makes her blush. We move on to a game of Who Knows Sugar Best, which, naturally, I win. We have a few more drinks before we head to our rooms to freshen up and get ready for dinner. I'm the first one ready so I decide to make a drink for myself while I wait for the rest. I pour a few shots into a mixer, add juice and squeeze lime into it before shaking it and pouring it into a glass when I feel someone next to me. I look to my right and see Santana leaning against the kitchen counter. She is in a tight red dress that hugs her curves in the most perfect way. The dress comes down to her mid-thigh, her smooth, tan legs on full display. Her hair is curled in a loose wave and is pulled to one side as it hangs over her shoulder. She looks absolutely stunning, and I try with all my power to tear my eyes away and back at the task at hand.

"Hey," she breaks the silence.

"Hey. Drink?" I ask her, hoping this would take care of the awkwardness between us. Is it awkward? I don't know, but it's definitely something.

"Please," she answers with a sweet smile. Okay, a real smile. That's a good sign. I hand her the drink. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." We stand in the kitchen, both waiting on the other to start a conversation. Do I start with small talk? A simple 'How are you?' would be a good start. "So," I drag out, "How have you been?"

She takes a sip of her drink before answering. "I've been good. You?"

Okay. Definitely awkward. "Good. Is this awkward?" Why the hell did I just ask that! Wait, did she just laugh? Laughing is good, right?

"Yes."

"Can we make it not awkward?"

"Yes." I let out a sigh. She puts her drink on the counter and moves toward me, so she is standing right in front of me and wraps her arms around me, embracing me in a hug. "Better?" She asks still holding me.

I chuckle at her actions and wrap an arm around her to return the hug. "Much better."

"Confession. I think I've seen every episode of your show," she confesses. "Twice." That information makes my heart flutter, but I choose to ignore it.

"You like it that much?" And that gets her to blush.

"It's a cool show. Plus, I'm the cool one that gets to say I know the director. But really, Brittany, I'm really proud of you. You are living your dream."

"Thank you. That means a lot to me. And yeah, I am. It hasn't always been easy, though."

"Are you happy?" Am I happy? Yes. I love my job. But is there more that I can do to make me happier? I don't know. I ignore the deep thoughts going through my head and simply answer her.

"I'm happy. But what about you? Can I officially call you Dr. Lopez now?"

"Actually, I…."

"You bitches ready!" Sugar's voice rings through the kitchen and interrupts us.

"Looks like the bride-to-be is ready to party," she says setting her glass down and walking out of the kitchen. "Come on, we have plenty of time to catch up later."

Santana again has a limo waiting for us downstairs. All the girls pile in as the driver takes us to our dinner reservation at STK. We are seated as soon as we walk in and the waiter is quick to offer us our drink options for the evening. This place is really nice, and the menu looks amazing and the more I look over the menu the more my mouth starts to salivate. I am starving, and a nice juicy steak sounds so good right now.

"What are you thinking about getting?" Santana asks me from her spot next to me.

"Steak. Biggest one they've got," I tell her enthusiastically.

"I bet you've had the best steak in the world. I'm always jealous of the places you guys get to see and eat at on the show."

"Yeah, I'm lucky. I've tried some really good stuff, also some weird stuff, too. What are you gonna get?"

"I'm thinking the sea bass," she says while still going through the menu.

"Fish? Santana, we're at a steakhouse."

"I'm craving fish," she shrugs.

"Weirdo."

The food comes and tastes even better than I expected. Everyone seems to be happy with their choices as the waiter opens another bottle of red wine for us. Dinner conversation is interesting with all the different personalities around, but everyone seems to be getting along. I mostly stick to talking with Quinn and Santana since they are sitting closest to me and this gives me a better chance to get to know Santana's best friend. Santana covers the bill and waves us all off when we offer to split it with her. I'm sure she can afford it, being a doctor and all, but still, I wish she would let us help, but she insists and doesn't seem to budge. Come to think of it, she's the one who has coordinated everything and not once mentioned the amounts for us to chip in. Hmm. I'll need to talk to her about that later. Anyways, after dinner, we head to an exclusive nightclub. Apparently, Santana has the hookup and is able to reserve a table for us. The place is bougie, but the music is loud, and the crowd looks fun. Perfect place for us! We are escorted to our table, which happens to be right next to the DJ booth. They bring three magnum sized bottles to the table and start pouring drinks for everyone. The girls split up, some moving to the dance floor and some deciding to hang back. If it wasn't obvious that we were here for a bachelorette party, Santana hands Sugar a veil and sash that says 'Bride-to-be'. I'm hanging out at the table when Sugar comes over begging me to come out onto the dance floor with her. I willingly accept her pleas and make my way to the group and start letting my body move to the rhythm of the deep base blaring through the club.

"Shots?" Sugar yells over the music and the girls all scream in agreeance.

"Go ahead, I'm gonna stay out here," I tell them. I'm not really in the mood to be drunk tonight, plus, at the rate they're going, someone has to be semi-sober. I get lost in the music. I've always loved to dance, it's so freeing and I almost forget where I am but a tap on my shoulder breaks me out of my bubble. I turn to see Santana dancing next to me.

"Can I join your dance party?" She says like the true dork she is, and I nod, noting that it's easier to communicate without words. She moves a little closer to me since the area around us is packed with people but cautious to keep a friendly distance, our bodies never touching. "No shots for you tonight?" She asks.

"No, want to take it easy on the drinks tonight. Think they'll be drinking enough for all of us," I nod toward the table. "What about you? I don't see you up there taking shots either," I tease back.

"Think we had the same idea for tonight," she says and continues to move her body in front of me. I try my best not to look too long at the way her body moves perfectly with the music, resisting the strong urge to grip her hips, to feel her body move against mine. I try not to think about the times we danced together, much more closely than we are now and the way her body would make mine feel with it pressed against me. Nope. I can't. I don't even know if she is single and we are all adults here, I don't want to step on anyone's toes or make her uncomfortable. So, I keep a friendly distance.

"I think I need a break!" I tell her and point toward the table just in case she couldn't hear me.

"Same, my feet are killing me!"

We make our way back to the table and see that they have definitely been enjoying the alcohol provided. Even Quinn looks drunk.

"S'ntana!" Quinn slurs as she pulls her to sit on the couch next to her. "Where the hell have you been all night?"

Santana looks at me and I can tell she is trying to contain her laughter because, yup, Quinn is fucked up, and something tells me that this is not a usual occurrence for the blonde. "I wasn't gone that long, Q. You good?"

"Yes. I'm having so much fun! Take a shot with me!" She yells as she tries to reach for the bottle but is failing miserably, her movements wobbly.

"How about some water?" Santana offers. That's probably a good idea. I look at the time and see that it's almost 2 am. I look over to Santana, showing her the time on my phone and she nods in understanding. We start gathering up the troops and shuttling everyone into the limo. The drive is peaceful, a couple of the girls knocking out on the way. When we arrive, it's a struggle to get them upstairs but between Santana and me, we are able to get each one of them up, changed and tucked into bed. I was in charge of Sugar and that girl is dead weight when she drinks. I'm exhausted after finally getting her situated. I wander into the kitchen pouring myself a glass of wine before slumping onto the couch in the living room, still in my dress, but heels discarded and feet up and resting on the coffee table. Not even a minute later, Santana plops next to me, seeming to have the same idea as me with a glass of wine in hand as well.

"I'm fucking exhausted! Going out is a lot harder now than it was when we were younger," she sighs as she closes her eyes and leans her head back against the couch.

"Agreed. I'm used to being up late on shoots, but this wore me out!"

"Well, cheers, to being the last two standing," she chuckles as she raises her glass.

"Cheers." We both take a long sip and stay in silence, my ears still buzzing from the music. "So, Quinn looked like she had a good time."

"Yeah. I can't remember the last time I saw her that drunk! But I don't blame her. She's always working or running around after Bella. It's nice to see her let loose for once."

"Bella is adorable. She was showing me pictures earlier."

"Oh, and she knows it! She might be two, but she has a personality of a teenager. She's a mini Quinn, attitude and all. But I love that little girl. I'm sure I don't help since I spoil her every chance I get. I'm like the coolest godmother ever," She says pulling out her phone to show me more pictures of the little girl and herself. It's cute to see the softness in Santana's face in the pictures.

"I bet. We didn't get a chance to finish our conversation from earlier. Tell me, do you have your own practice in New York, Miss Big Shot?" I tease her. The Santana I remember was always nose-deep in a book, studying and working hard. Major nerd! I can just imagine all the success she's managed to achieve in the last few years.

"No. No practice."

I tilt my head in confusion. "Okay," I start, "Then I bet you're the head of some department of a major hospital or something. Come on. Don't be modest," I nudge her.

She shakes her head, "Nope. I never went to medical school." And that news shocks me.

"What? Are you serious? But I thought that was like everything you lived for! You were studying all the time. Who does that on a trip, San?"

"It _was_. After that summer, I went back home to Lima and really started to rethink things. I don't know, I just didn't have the same drive I had before for medicine."

"So, what exactly do you do now?" I ask.

"Well, I went to NYU for music," she says. "I actually own my own record label here in New York."

Holy shit! She actually did it! I remember talking to her about this back then. I remember how much she would push aside the fact that music was her true passion but I knew, I could see the happiness in her eyes especially when I heard her sing. "That's incredible, San! I can't believe it."

"I actually owe you for all my success," she says and turns her body slightly to face me better. "You gave me the courage to follow my dreams. So, thank you."

"But I didn't do anything."

"You did," she starts. "More than you know." It's almost said in a whisper but I hear it and my heart flutters at her words.

"Well, you're welcome," I laugh. "How did your parents take it?" I ask when I remember she was always worried about what they would think if she suddenly told them she didn't want to go into medicine like her dad.

"They took it well, they were a little shocked at first. I had never really made music a thing, so they were a little hesitant at first, but I'm lucky that they've always supported me. Plus, it helps that I'm kind of a big deal now," she giggles.

"Look at us, all grown up, being boss women," I joke. "So, you live in New York, I assume?"

"I do. I opened up a studio in Los Angeles a couple of years ago but only fly out a couple times a year to make sure everything is running smoothly." I look at her in awe. This girl sitting in front of me exudes confidence, so different from the girl I first got to know so many years ago.

"You'll have to show me the studio sometime this week while I'm in town. I'd really like to see it," I tell her honestly.

"I'd love to."

"Any chance you can play hooky, boss? Since I'm in New York all week, we should hang out. I miss my partner in crime, exploring the town."

"You going to keep calling me boss?"

"Yup! So, what do you say, _boss_?" I emphasize.

"Hm. I think I can arrange a couple days away from the office. We can do the whole tourist thing," she says, and I can hear the excitement in her voice.

"Oh! And you can meet Sofia! Her family is from New York so she's going to be around this week. I told her we would meet up. You'll love her."

"Sofia?! The host?" Her eyes widen.

"What, do you have a crush on her?" I tease.

"Shut up! No, I don't. She's hot though," she says, and I swear I can see her cheeks flush.

"Wow. It's almost 5 am! We should sleep. We have brunch reservations at 1," she says.

"Damn, yeah, we should." I grab our glasses and leave them on the kitchen counter. "Well, I'll see you in the morning, San. Goodnight."

She gives me a tired but warm smile, "Goodnight, Britt. Sleep well."

Even though I am exhausted I lie in bed just thinking about the last 24 hours. It's crazy how being around Santana again makes me miss something I didn't even know I was missing. As late as it is, my body is buzzing with excitement at the fact that I will be seeing Santana again, spending time with the girl who I got so close to all those years ago. I drift off to sleep with a smile on my face, and Santana on my mind.


	14. New York Done Right

**Chapter 14: New York Done Right**

It's not until Tuesday that I get to see Santana again, which works out for me, considering I spent most of Monday morning in bed nursing a raging hangover. Sunday brunch includes bottomless mimosas and boy do we take the word 'bottomless' literally. I can't remember the last time I drank so much, and I'm, definitely paying for it. After my killer headache becomes a duller nagging pain, I drag my ass out of bed to take a much-needed shower and order takeout from one of the menus Sugar left for me on the kitchen counter. Luckily, Sugar has last minute wedding things to take care of and I'm left alone for most of the day. I love the girl, but I don't think I'm in any condition to be around her high energy. The rest of the day is spent in front of the tv, with a carton of Chinese food in hand and an early bedtime. Santana and I have plans to meet early Tuesday morning, with her insisting we grab breakfast from her favorite diner before we start our day. So here I am, waiting downstairs in the lobby of Sugar's high rise, for Santana. And like the punctual person she is, she walks through the double glass doors five minutes before we agreed to meet. Coincidentally, I am also on time, well early in this case, because of my bubbling excitement to spend the day gallivanting around the city with my favorite brunette.

"Morning! Ready to go?" She asks as I stand to greet her with a hug. When I pull away I take in her appearance, jeans paired with knee-high boots and a warm, and cuddly pea coat to bare the winter cold. She has a scarf neatly wrapped around her neck and tucked perfectly into her jacket and the cutest beanie that sits snug on her head with her gorgeous brown long locks pouring out.

"Yup! I'm so excited! Are we walking or taking a cab?" I ask her, not sure how far the diner is.

"We can walk. It's a couple of blocks from here and the weather is not so bad today," she tells me as we make our way outside, thanking the doorman.

The diner is exactly what I expected. Small, most likely family owned, and Santana waves at the hostess, clearly a regular here. She escorts us to a booth toward the back as we get situated, taking off our thick layers now that we are tucked away in the heated indoors. A waitress immediately attends to us, pouring us both a cup of coffee, letting us know she would be back to take our orders. I've always loved diner coffee, and this does not disappoint.

"Looks like you come here often," I mention as we look over the menu.

"You could say that. I stumbled upon it one night after the library on campus closed. I needed a place to study and didn't want to go home yet. I walked in when I realized it was open 24 hours and sat in that booth over there and drank way too many cups of coffee, pulling an all-nighter. I've been coming ever since!"

"Love it. So, what's good?" I ask figuring she can recommend the best thing to order.

"I personally love the french toast. But you can't go wrong with anything you order."

"French toast it is! Oh, and definitely getting the home fries. Oh, and maybe some bacon," I hear her giggle through the menu, which is covering the front of her face, only her eyes popping out over the top.

"Hungry?" She teases.

"Beyond! Plus, figured we should fuel up now with everything we have planned for today." And I'm right. We have so many things we want to do in the next two days, I'm going to need all the energy I can get. "What are you getting?"

"Think I'm gonna get an omelet. And now that you said home fries, think that as well."

We place our order and fall into a comfortable conversation as we wait for our food, sipping our coffee.

"You've met Beyonce? Okay, I'm totally jealous right now," I tell her between bites of my delicious breakfast.

"Yeah. Don't be too jealous. I was a fucking mess. I don't even think I spoke, she probably thought I was a mute. But I can still say I met the Queen," she says through a laugh.

"I can't even imagine being in her presence. My mind would go blank, too! So, personal tour guide, what's up first?"

"You get to pick, Statue of Liberty? Or walk around the city."

I've never been to the Statue of Liberty, but I also want to just roam around the city. "How about we get on the subway and see where we end up?" I know this is out of Santana's comfort zone, being a natural planner, but I'm just happy to be spending time with her again after so long. We could sit in Central Park all day for all I care. But I know she's taken time away from work to spend time with me, so I guess we should actually do some sight-seeing.

"Sure, anything, in particular, you want to see?" She asks me already looking a little uncomfortable with my suggestion.

"Um, Central Park, Time Square, maybe the MET, definitely the 9/11 Memorial, oh, and the Empire State Building!" I list off. "And, food. Lots of food!"

She giggles the cutest laugh, one of those laughs that put her adorable dimples on full display. "Whatever you want, Britt," she says softly.

It's a strange feeling, a feeling that I've felt ever since landing in New York. With my job, I travel to new places all the time, and the excitement to discover new cities, new countries are always bubbling inside of me, but this feeling is so much more than that. It's like I feel at home. I don't know if it's the city or the people surrounding me but what I do know is that I feel warm inside. Like something has ignited inside of me that I've been missing for so long.

"Ready to go?" Santana's smooth voice pulls me from my thoughts as she stands up and puts her coat on, preparing to bear the cold.

I follow her out and we make our way toward the subway. I love experiencing public transportation in new places. It's something I've grown accustomed to, living without a car for all these years. I look over to Santana who doesn't look as thrilled as me. "Not a fan of the subway?"

"Huh? No, I love the subway," she says and the tone in her voice makes it hard to see any truth behind her words.

I give her a look that screams 'bullshit' which she gets immediately and rolls her eyes at me. "Fine. You're right. I think this is the third time I've taken it."

"What?" I say shocked. She's been living here for seven years and only taken the subway twice? She even did her undergrad in New York. But then again, knowing Santana back then, I guess I'm not that shocked.

"Yeah. I usually take a cab or walk," she shrugs.

And so, we head for the subway with no destination in sight. We sit and observe, watching the different types of people that get on and off, businessmen, street performers, commuters, everyone. As the day goes on, we start to fall into our old selves, acting like the two college graduates we were, young and ready to see the world and seize every opportunity available to us. Except, here we are, seven years later, both established in our careers, fulfilling our dreams, yet the childlike excitement is still there. And maybe it's something that only is exposed when we are around each other, or maybe this is who we truly are but only let the other see it. Another thing that hasn't changed is the subtle touches, flirtatious smiles, at least on my end. I remember the first time I was close to her. I've always been a touchy person, and it's gotten me into some trouble in the past, but I don't really care, it's who I am. But I remember seeing Santana for the first time since High School in that hotel in Rome. It was our first day and I was just expecting to meet up with Sugar and Puck, but there she was. We were never close in school but I knew who she was, yet I still extended my hand out to here, introducing myself. I didn't want to be rude! But anyways, we were always touching and being playful with each other and obviously, that led to more physical things to happen between us.

I think she's flirting back, or at least she's not completely shutting it down. I still don't know her relationship status, but for now, I decide to continue acting the way I know how, especially when it comes to Santana. I wrap my arm around her as we stroll through Central Park, hot dog in hand, looking for a bench to sit on.

"Body warmth," I tell her as her body tenses at first, hoping she relaxes at my reasoning. She gives me a small smile that I can barely make out, her hair covering up her face, but I know it must work because I feel her muscles relax under my touch, even with all the layers and coats.

"Fuck! This is the best hot dog I've ever had!" I exclaim as I take another bite. "Thanks for this, San. I've had a really great day with you," I tell her, and her eyes soften under my gaze. I know we can't stay sitting here for too long, the weather a big issue, even though it's not as cold as it has been apparently. I don't want our day to end, but I'm sure she wants to at least get some work done at some point today, seeing as she took to time off work to hang out with me. She might have ditched plans of being a doctor, but the Santana I know is a workaholic. We never really discussed if we would be with each other the entire day and night, and I don't want to assume but I would really like to take her out to dinner. Not like a date, or maybe a date? I don't know, but I do know I don't want to go home quite yet. "Um, would you like to get dinner with me?" And that gets her attention. But before she can answer I continue to speak. "If you don't have other plans or work. I didn't mean to assume. Sorry, you can say no. It's okay! I'm sure you have better things to do, or like a date to get to or girlfriend or…"

"Britt," her voice halts my rant as her glove covered hand rests against my knee to get my attention. "I don't…," she starts but shakes her head. Crap, letting me down easy. At least she's considerate. "I'd love to."

She said yes! My insides are doing a happy dance, but I try and keep a calm and cool exterior. "Cool! But it's my treat. You haven't let me pay for anything today!" I tell her and pout. She's very insistent and hasn't let me pay at all. We even fought in front of The MET for a good five minutes, trying to shove money to the attendant for the tickets. She won, of course, but I want to make sure she knows I will not take no for an answer tonight.

She rolls her eyes at me but concedes and I give her a victorious smile. Once we get back to Sugar's, I tell her to meet me back here at 8 and head upstairs. I walk in and there's Sugar sitting at the kitchen counter as if waiting for my arrival.

"Well, hello, Brittany," she greets me with a devilish smirk. "How was your day with Santana?"

"It was good," I reply simply.

"Oh, come on, Britt! That's all you're gonna give me?"

"What do you want me to say? We hung out. Can't two friends hang out?" And there it is, written all over her face, except I can't quite make out what it is she's trying to say. "What?"

"Nothing. And of course, two friends can hang out. Did you have a nice time?" My suspicion of her weirdness grows by the second, but I choose to ignore it.

"I need to get ready," I tell her as I make my way to my room, Sugar hot on my heels. I turn around and she runs into me, that's how close she is. "You going to follow me into the shower, too?"

"What do you need to get ready for?"

"Dinner. Me and Santana are gonna grab a bite to eat."

"Interesting," she says still not moving from my room.

"Why is that interesting?" I continue to push. I know she knows about me and Santana that summer. But it's not like it meant anything. We were young, and found each other hot, very hot, and had sex. What's the big deal? It's not like Santana was in love with me or anything. Or better yet, that I was in love with her. "Spit it out, Sugar!" I yell out of frustration. I need to get ready and this girl is cutting into my time.

"No reason," she says and starts walking out of my room. "Have fun!"

What the fuck? I sigh but don't have time to overthink. I need to shower, my time dwindling by the minute. After my shower, I look at the clothes I packed, and aside from the dress for the rehearsal dinner and wedding, I didn't really think to bring anything too fancy. Then again, I don't even know where I'm going to take Santana. I'm not even from New York! What the hell did I get myself into? I finally decide on black jeans and a loose fitting top and move on to my hair and makeup. I'm curling my hair when I start to feel nervous. Why am I feeling nervous? It's just Santana. Me and Santana. Santana and I. Brittany and Santana. What the hell is wrong with me? But then again, it _is_ Santana. There's always been something about the beautiful brunette that has pulled me to her. Something that I can't put my finger on, but something nonetheless. It's not just her beauty, because anyone with eyes can see just how gorgeous she is. No, it's beyond that. It's her heart, her soul, her laugh, her smile, her openness, her ability to make me feel at home, even when I'm miles away from it. My hands start to clam up as I think back to those times we spent together, not the ones in front of everyone, but those tucked away behind closed doors, lost in our own bubble, talking about our deepest wants, ambitions, our happiness, and sadness. That's what I remember most about her and the part of her that I cherish. Her ability to make me feel so safe when I feel so afraid. And it hits me, right there, curling iron in hand, heart racing slightly more than normal, that this thing with me and Santana from so many years ago, meant something. Something more than just two people connecting on a friend level, more than just two people sleeping together. It meant more, and after all these years, after spending just one day with her, that spark is still there. That feeling that I ignored every time I was around her. Question is, did she feel the same things I'm _now_ juststarting to realize?

I check the time and see I only have about 20 minutes until Santana gets here and panic sets in.

"Sugar!" I call out, hopefully, loud enough for her to hear me in her mansion but to no surprise, her head pops into the bathroom immediately, as if she was waiting for me to call her. "What the hell, Sugar. Have you been waiting outside my room this whole time?"

"Shut up. What can I help you with?"

"Uh, I don't really know where to go for dinner. Any suggestions?"

"Well, are you looking for a casual burger and friends place? Or something a little more upscale?"

"Nothing too fancy," I say. I don't want to be obvious and I don't need to wine and dine her. Just a place for two people to enjoy a nice meal.

"I have just the place."

"Thank you. Oh," I start as I start on my makeup. "Is Santana seeing anyone?" I ask trying to act as casual as possible.

"Not that I know of. Why?"

"Just wondering. If she is, don't want them to think this is a date or anything," I ramble on. Who am I kidding? The more I think about tonight, the more I want it to be a date.

"All clear to take her on your non-date dinner, Britt," she says her voice teasing. I swear it only feels like 5 minutes passes after my conversation with Sugar, but I guess not because I hear the doorbell ring and voices coming from the living room right outside my door. Santana's here. I look myself over one last time, happy with my outfit before grabbing my purse and making my way out. The second I see Santana, my breath catches in my throat. She's dressed in tight black pants and a collared shirt with the sleeves loosely cuffed, her hair pulled back into a ponytail. She looks breathtaking. How did I never see it before? How did I never realize the way my heart would skip a beat by just being in her presence?

"Hey, San. You look great," I tell her.

"Thank you," she blushes. "So do you. Ready?" I nod. Sugar tells us to have a good time and it's hard to miss the giddiness in Sugar's words.

We spend the short cab ride in a comfortable silence, although I don't miss a chance to glance at her as she looks out the window with a subtle smile spread across her lips. Her hand rests on the seat between us and it takes everything in me to not reach over and take it within mine. To feel how her skin would feel against mine after all these years. But nonetheless, I resist, not wanting to make her uncomfortable before dinner. Sure, my feelings for her are growing by the second, seemingly always hidden deep within me all these years, but that doesn't mean she feels the same way and I don't want to risk ruining a perfectly good evening hanging out with her by making her uncomfortable before we can even get to the restaurant.

We arrive at this little family owned Italian restaurant and are seated at a candlelit table. The waitress tells us about the specials for the evening and we thank her before looking over the menu.

"Do you want to share a bottle of wine?" I ask her as I look through the drink options.

"That sounds good." When the waitress comes back around, I ask what her suggestion would be for a nice bottle of red wine. She pours us each a glass before leaving the bottle for us at the table.

"Cheers, thanks for coming to dinner with me," I tell her as I raise my glass to her.

"Of course, I had a really nice time with you. It's funny, I've lived in New York for almost 8 years but I feel like there is always something new to see. I don't get a chance to roam around like we did today often."

I nod and tell her how much I enjoyed our day as well.

"So, tell me about your record company," I ask her as I lean back in my chair, glass in hand. I want to know everything about her life. I still can't believe she changed her career like that.

"I interned at another label for a couple of years after I finished my master's program. It was the typical internship, get coffee for people, run around at all hours of the day. It was crazy, but being in that world was thrilling, honestly. I was offered a job there to bring in new talent and it was fun, but the label had a certain image they wanted. It was hard for me to sign musicians when they didn't stand for what I believed in. I remember coming home one night and bitching to Quinn about how I had found this girl at a pub one night, but the label completely disregarded her. I was pissed," She tells me as she takes a sip from her glass. "Like, really pissed. I was young and fired up and thought that I could be doing more. So, as a joke, Quinn said I should start my own and sign this girl. I thought she was totally crazy. There was no way that anyone would take me seriously in this industry, but her words stuck with me and then I thought back to the times me and you talked about our future and I said, 'Fuck it!' I went into work the next day and told them I quit. Just like that."

"Shut up! That's so badass, San," I smirk.

"Yeah, I felt like a badass, too. But I needed money. I went back to Lima for the weekend and at first, my parents thought I had totally lost my mind but after I talked to them I think they realized that I was serious about this. My dad told me he would help with whatever I need and even gave me some money to start up a company. He helped me get licensing on the labels name and everything. And here we are today! It was hard at first but I worked my ass off and once I got a few good artists out there, I started to really take off and all the risk was worth it." Our waitress comes back around to take our order. "What about you, Britt?"

"Kind of the same thing. I was interning with my professor from school in London and he had good connections in the industry. He got me an internship with my boss, Josh, and I did the whole thing you did. Worked my butt off for the crew and next thing I know I was given this opportunity to direct an episode. Kind of like a trial run and I guess I completely nailed it. It was so exhilarating finally being behind that camera, all control in my hands, San. I swear, it's like all those things I dreamed about were coming true."

"That's amazing, Britt. I always knew you would be here. You are so talented," she tells me and that gets me to blush and I don't even try to hide it.

Our food arrives, and Sugar was right, this place is amazing. We are enjoying our food when I hear my name being called.

"Brittany!" I turn my head at the sudden outburst, shocked to see who would know me in New York at a restaurant I just heard about.

"Oh my god! Sofia! What are you doing here?" I tell her as I get out of my seat to give her a hug. I knew she was going to be in New York and I had planned on calling her sometime this week to meet up for coffee or something, but here she was standing in front of me.

"My parents love this place. We just finished up an early dinner when I saw you," she says. "Hi, Sofia," she says as she extends her hand out to Santana, who is sitting there watching the exchange. I know she recognized Sofia by the look in her eyes.

"Santana, nice to meet you," she says politely.

"You haven't called me," she says to me with a pout.

"I know, I swear I was going to. I've been really busy the last couple of days," I tell her honestly.

"Well, how about we get lunch tomorrow?" she asks.

"Um, I think me and San have plans tomor-" but I'm cut off by Santana.

"No, it's okay, Britt. I should check in at the office tomorrow anyway, plus I have some last-minute things to help Sugar with for the rehearsal dinner," she tells me and I'm a little disappointed, but I try to hide it.

"You sure?" I ask her in hopes that she will change her mind. I was looking forward to spending the day with her again.

"Yeah. I'm sure," she says shortly. Her behavior changed but I couldn't figure out why.

"Okay, then yeah, I guess I can tomorrow. Text me what time and where," I tell Sofia.

"Awesome! Oh, wait! Did you hear the news?"

"What news?" I ask curiously, assuming it has something to do with the show and judging by her excitement it must be something good.

"Josh wants us to co-host the new show he pitched you! Isn't that amazing?" And my eyes go wide. Shit, I haven't thought about that since coming to New York.

"Wow! Really?"

"Yup! So, we will still be together. I'm so excited!"

"You've already accepted?" I ask her since I haven't even given him a firm answer although I pretty much let him know that I was going to do it.

"Duh. I wasn't going to pass up this opportunity. But, anyways, think my parents are waiting for me outside. We'll chat about this more tomorrow! Have a nice night, Britt," she says as she leans in and for a second I freak out, thinking she is going to kiss me square on the lips but instead she leaves a lingering kiss on my cheek as I let out a breath of relief. "It was nice meeting you, Santana."

"You sure you need to go to work tomorrow?" I ask her as I sit back down.

"Yeah," she answers again acting a little strange. "So, that's Sofia. It's weird seeing her in person after watching her for the last couple of years on tv. You guys seem close." Wait. Is that jealousy I hear? No. Can't be. I'm just imaging things now.

"Yeah, we are. She's really the only person my age and we are always traveling so it's hard to make friends. We kind of just migrated to each other." I tell her truthfully. I mean, yeah, I've been sleeping with her, but at the end of the day, she's not my girlfriend or anything close to that. I've always been straight forward with her about our situation.

"That's cool. So, what's this new gig she was talking about?" She asks, and I swallow the food in my mouth.

"Oh, Josh, the guy I was telling you about who created 'Worlds Apart' has a new show he's working on. At first, I thought he wanted me on board as a director, since that's what I've been doing for the past few years, but the guy completely blindsided me and asked me to host it. Can you believe that?"

"I can, you would be really great, Britt," she says. At least she's saying more than two words to me ever since Sofia crashed our dinner.

"You think so?" My voice is unsure and comes out almost as a whisper. She leans across the table and takes my hand in hers, rubbing the top of my knuckles with her thumb. The gesture is nice, and it feels good to feel her skin on mine, almost so good that I forget where we are for a minute.

"You can do anything, Britt. Believe me," she says so genuinely that it makes my insides melt. God, how can someone be so incredible?

"Thanks, San." The bill comes and as expected, Santana tries to fight me on it, but after much insistence, I pay, and we make our way out of the restaurant to hail a cab.

I don't want our night to end but I also don't want to seem clingy. I try and think of a way to keep this night going when I think of something, "How about that tour of the recording studio?" I ask her as we get settled into the cab.

"Now?" She asks a little surprised at my suggestion.

"Yeah, why not? You are the boss, right? I assume you have keys to the place?" I jokingly tease her.

This gets her to laugh and I melt at the sound, "Okay." She lets the cab driver know the address as we make our way to her studio. We enter this beautiful building and walk through the lobby before entering the elevator. We exit on the 11th floor and she gives me a quick tour of their personal waiting area. The first door is her office, which is locked. She unlocks it and as I step in, her office is revealed. It is exactly what I expect to see from Santana. She has a gorgeous mahogany desk in the middle and a couch to the side. Her walls are decorated with records and small awards that I know if I were to ask, she would modestly excuse them saying they are not that big of a deal, and I would know that is a complete lie. She moves to the other side of her desk to open the bottom drawer. I see her lift two glasses out of them and a bottle of whiskey and I raise my eyebrows at her.

"You drink on the job often, Lopez?" I question her.

"No, but sometimes when I'm working late, I have a glass or two," she admits as she pours a glass for us.

"I really like your office, it's very you," I tell her as I grab my glass and wander around.

"I don't know what that means, but I'm going to take it as a compliment. Ready to move on?"

We make our way down the hallway to what I assume is the recording studio. It's truly incredible to see in person all that she has accomplished. The studio is top of the line and I picture Santana sitting here giving direction to whatever artist she is working with. I picture her being very hands-on, this company is her baby and I can't imagine her letting go of the control.

"Do you ever get a chance to record your own music?" I ask her. I remember the night at the pub when she performed. Her voice is breathtaking. I could seriously listen to her for hours and hours.

"Not really. I'm pretty busy with the clients I do have," she tells me, and I don't push further.

"Can you show me what everything does?" I ask her as I take a seat on the chair in front of this panel with way too many buttons.

"Yeah," she says as she makes her way closer to me. I turn the chair so that I am facing what I assume is a mixing panel. She leans over to press a button which makes all the buttons light up. This is so cool!

"I have this sample that we can work with," she says as she leans closer to me. Her arm extends out and because of the way we're positioned, me sitting and her standing behind me, her body hovers close to me and I take in the familiar scent of Santana that I didn't realize I've missed so much after all these years without it. It's almost intoxicating but I try and remind myself to focus. "So, this right here will start the track and then we can adjust some things, like volume, clarity and add effects."

I just nod and lift my hands to place them on some of the buttons she was referring to. She presses play and I hear the music start. "Okay," she starts and takes my hand in hers, moving it to one of the levers as she starts pushing it up. "So, you're adjusting this part of the songs volume. Songs have instruments and beats and obviously the vocals, so you want them to balance so one doesn't overpower the other," she says, as her soothing voice rings so close to my ear. "Good," she says and grabs my hand again moving it to another part of the board. "Now you can play with these to hear different sound effects," she says, her head so close to mine I can almost feel her breath on my neck. I feel myself starting to lose all self-control. She manipulates our hands but I'm not paying any attention, my focus on her and only her, my heart racing and any thoughts of crossing the line flying out of my head. I know she is leaning into my body, I know her face is so close to mine, all I have to do is turn my head a little and my lips will be on hers, the lips I've been wanting to kiss since the second I saw her walking through Sugar's apartment. I slowly turn my head and am met with warm brown eyes, slightly glossy from the alcohol we've consumed throughout the night. My breath catches in my throat at her beauty and I feel myself leaning in, not able to resist the strong pull anymore. I am only inches away from connecting our lips when I am pulled out my gaze because Santana is no longer within kissing distance.

I hear her clear her throat before speaking, "So, yeah, that's the studio." She looks at her watch that sits delicately on her wrist. "It's getting late, we should head home," she says. What the hell just happened? I could have sworn we were going to kiss, I know she wanted it just as much as I did. Why did she pull away?

I shake my head, trying to hide the disappointment, "Yeah. You're right," I say and stand up as she takes another step back, keeping a healthy distance between us.

The cab ride to Sugar's is silent. As we reach Sugar's apartment, I open the door and see that she isn't getting out behind me. She turns her head up to me as I stand outside the cab, "Thanks for dinner."

"You're welcome." I was hoping for at least a goodnight hug, but after our, I don't know what to call it, moment in the studio, things seem to be awkward. "I guess I'll see you at the rehearsal dinner."

"Yeah. Have a good night." And the cab drives away leaving me standing confused and saddened. I make my way up, praying that Sugar is asleep. I'm not in the mood to talk or be questioned, and just want to crawl in bed. But of course, the second I open the door with the spare key Sugar has given me, I find her sitting on the couch, like a mother waiting up for her child to get home.

"So, how was it?" She asks, as predicted.

"It was good," I tell her vaguely. "I'm really tired. Gonna head to bed. I'll talk to you in the morning," I tell her and don't wait for a response. I'm not trying to be rude, but I hope she'll understand. I quickly strip out of my clothes and get in bed covering myself with the comforter, wanting to hide away from the world. Our night was going great, why did I try and kiss her? It plays over and over in my head, and I try and make it stop, hoping to get some sleep. _Good going, Britt._

 **THE END IS NEAR! WORKING ON A SEQUEL! DON'T FORGET TO DROP A REVIEW WITH YOUR THOUGHTS! :P**


	15. Wedding Bells

**Thank you for all the reviews!**

 **I love hearing what you guys think. So, as you know if you've been reading from the beginning, this story was complete before I started posting. I know it may seem like Santana is jumping into something or that she waited around for Brittany, but don't forget, Santana walked away from Brittany all those years ago! Also, we don't really know what Santana was up to during the 7 years!**

 **Be patient! The sequel will dip into past moments we didn't see in this part of the story! Including those 7 years and moments in High School. :P**

 **Hope you enjoy the next chapter and let me know your thoughts! Happy Hump Day :P**

 **Chapter 15: Wedding Bells**

Lucky for me, by the time I wake up the next morning, Sugar is already out of the house. I knew she had last minute things to take care of and I think I remember her mentioning something about a lunch with her future in-laws, but regardless, I am home alone, and I have never been more thankful. After dodging her when I got in from my non-date date with Santana last night, I knew that if she were to catch me awake this morning, I would be cornered into more questioning, and I'm really not in the mood to answer any of them. I'm still trying to make sense of all this crap in my own head, how would I be able to answer any of her questions?

Santana. Here's what I know. I'm in love with Santana. The scary part? The scary part is the more I think back to our time seven years ago, the more I come to realize that I was falling in love with her then. How did I not see this before? Oh, because I was a stupid girl who was having fun, concerned about my next adventure, the next chapter of my life, and my brain was too blind to realize what my heart was wanting. But nothing has changed in my life. I'm still that person that yearns for that nomad life, the thought of staying in one place and settling down makes me start to sweat. Like, literally sweat out of anxiousness. The fact remains, I'm in love with Santana Lopez, but as the timing was not right for a possibility of us back then, assuming she felt the same way, the timing is definitely not right for us now, and may never be.

Whatever, regardless of all this, as it turns out, I'm pretty sure I ruined any chance of any kind of romantic relationship with her. She pulled away from the kiss last night, a clear sign she isn't into me like that, or at least not anymore. I know she felt it before though, especially that last night in Paris. That wasn't just two friends having sex, now that I really think about it, it _definitely_ wasn't just sex. We were saying all the things we were afraid to say, with our bodies, with every touch, with every kiss. All this thinking about love and relationships makes my head hurt. I need coffee. Which reminds me, I need to text Sofia to coordinate a time to meet for lunch today. I'm still bummed I won't be spending the day with Santana as we had planned but maybe considering the circumstances, it's best that I have a day away from the girl who has my brain all jumbled and clearly squeezed her way into my heart.

I shoot a text to Sofia, and once we agree on a time and place, I hop in the shower. I put on some clothes, quickly realizing that fashion is less important, and thick layers for warmth more imperative and wander into the kitchen and try to mess with the fancy espresso machine Sugar has but fail miserably. I guess I'll have to wait until later for any sort of caffeine, although I could use it now. I check the time and try to take into consideration city traffic before heading down to the lobby to hail a cab. Sofia picked a pizza place that she grew up going to in Brooklyn, since she insisted that she show me the best spot, and she swore up and down by the place, calling every other pizza joint a wannabe. The cab pulls up right outside and I see Sofia standing by the door waiting for me.

"Hey!" She greets me before pulling me into a hug. "Hope you're hungry."

"I'm starving."

The place is small and quaint, giving off a very old-school Italian vibe. The walls are covered with pictures of what I assume is the owner's family. The tables are covered in that traditional red and white checkered vinyl tablecloths and there is a guy behind the counter tossing pizza dough high up in the air like a true pro. The smell of the pizza and fresh sauce fills my nose and I hear my stomach growl in anticipation of the deliciousness that I'm about to experience. We order at the counter with a guy, whose name is Tony, go figure, and we take our number and find a seat at one of the few tables available.

"How's New York treating you?" She asks as we wait for our food.

"Pretty good! How about you? How's your family?"

"They're good. Really happy to have me home. I miss them," she says as our pizza comes.

"Damn, this is good!" I tell her after taking my first bite.

"Told you," she says taking a bite as well. "So," she starts as she finishes chewing. "That's Santana, huh?"

"Yeah. That's Santana. We went to high school together."

"Right, so, is she like your girlfriend or something? You guys looked like you were on a date," she asks, and I almost detect a little jealousy but I shrug it off.

"No, not a girlfriend. And we weren't on a date. Just dinner between two friends," I tell her trying to hide my annoyance.

"Ex-girlfriend then. She didn't seem to like the fact that I interrupted your dinner or that I gave you a kiss on the cheek."

"Not ex either. Just a friend, Sof," I tell her again, in hopes that she drops the subject.

"But she was the one who wrote you that note, right?"

"Yeah. So?"

She narrows her eyes at me and I try and avoid making eye contact and focus back on the food in front of me. "So, nothing. Never mind, so when is the wedding?"

"Saturday. I have the rehearsal dinner on Friday, how long are you in New York for?"

"Until the New Year. We leave for Sweden, remember?"

"Right. Have you already signed? I can't believe Josh is adding you to the show. Who's replacing you for our show?"

"They already have someone, I guess. Apparently, he didn't want to mention it to me until they knew they had a replacement locked in first. That's when I got the call and I immediately said yes."

"I haven't signed yet. I should probably tell Josh to send me the paperwork."

"I have them with me. He wanted me to give them to you to sign whenever you are ready. As long as it's before the New Year," she tells me and hands me the paperwork.

We finish up lunch and head to a café nearby to grab a cup of coffee and then say our goodbyes, promising to keep in touch. I try and avoid going back home and decide that the weather is nice enough to take a stroll around Manhattan. I wander around for hours, trying to clear my head. I've never felt so jumbled up there in my life. Thoughts of Santana and this new show constantly stirring around, and the walk only helps so much. I head back and make my way back up to Sugar's penthouse when I find it still empty from this morning. Since I'm alone, I take full advantage and pour myself a glass of wine before filling up the tub for a much-needed bath. I always do my best thinking in the bathtub. After my bath, I put something on Netflix before I doze off. It's strange, I've never had so much time to myself, I forgot what it feels like to relax and do nothing. I guess after all these years of constant travel and work, this is exactly what my body needs. A recharge.

The rest of my Wednesday goes as such, hanging out around the apartment, watching tv, and never changing out of sweats. Thursday morning is the same until I get a call from Puck. Of course, he yelled at me about the fact that I've been in town for almost a week and haven't made any effort to see him, asking if I was going to wait for the dinner to touch base. In my defense, most of my time has been filled with activities, but I accept his offer to join him at a bar. And honestly, I'm glad I did. We drink, laugh, and talk about random things, taking my mind off everything else going on in my life. Puck hasn't changed a bit, and I am thankful for his lightheartedness, now more than ever.

This brings me to Friday. I wake up feeling anxious knowing I'll be seeing Santana again for the first time since Tuesday night, the first time since our, what I like to call, almost kiss, the first time since she rejected my efforts to feel her lips against mine again after so many years. I know she is a busy woman but the fact that I haven't heard from her at all since that night worries me and is a big reason behind my nerves this morning. I pour myself a cup of coffee and have a quick breakfast with Sugar before she is off. I know I have time until the dinner tonight, so I take the time to read over the contract that has been sitting in my bag since Sofia gave it to me. Everything looks great and exactly how Josh had described. The pay is amazing, but that's not a huge concern of mine. I've done pretty well for myself the past few years financially and considering I don't have a mortgage or anything significant, I have quite a bit saved up in the bank. I read over the schedule and it sounds a lot more grueling than anything I've done before. We move around more often, it seems and film most days with only travel days and a couple other days here and there free. I grab a pen and sign it, not wanting to think about it any longer. I figure after the wedding madness is over, I can finalize it and send it to Josh.

The day passes by slowly and I try and keep myself busy. I don't expect to hear from Santana since I haven't the past few days, but especially not today, as the maid of honor, I expect she has a lot on her hands today. I know that they'll be meeting with the wedding party at the church before dinner to have the wedding rehearsal. 5 o'clock rolls around and I start to get ready. I take my time, seeing as I have a couple hours to spare. I take a shower, staying in longer than necessary before drying off and putting on a robe that Sugar had hung for me in the closet. This girl is so extra sometimes, but I guess with the wealth she's come into, I can't blame her for having extravagant things. Plus, the robe is cozy as hell, so I take full advantage. I hang the dress I plan on wearing on the door and start on my hair, deciding to leave it loose and straight. In between doing my hair, I pour myself a glass of wine, in hopes that this will calm my nerves as the time for dinner slowly approaches. I start on my make-up, keeping it light and fresh, adding a smoky eye shadow look to go with the deep blue dress I chose. I check the time and see that I have just enough time to slip on my dress and heels, grab my purse and make my way down to the lobby, having a quick chat with the doorman that I've come to like. He tells me to have a wonderful evening and lets me know that Sugar has arranged for a car to take me to the restaurant. Like I said, so extra, but I know it comes from a good place, and I really do appreciate everything she has done for me, including letting me stay with her while in town. The driver opens the door for me, before offering his hand to assist me out of the car. I feel like royalty! The hostess guides me to the private area that they have reserved for the dinner and see that I'm not the first to arrive. Sugar is the first to greet me, standing alongside her fiancée by the double door entrance.

"Brittany! You look beautiful," she greets me into a hug. "Britt, this is Austin, babe, this is Brittany!"

"It's nice to finally meet you, Brittany. Sugar has talked my ear off about you," he says.

"Likewise! I'm glad she's found someone who makes her so happy. Treat her well," I tease him.

"Of course."

"Okay. So, here's your seat, Britt. The waiters should be walking around with some appetizers and champagne. Help yourself!" She tells me, and I make my way to find my seat. I'm happy to find that I'm seated between Puck and Quinn. I glance around the room and see no sign of the one person who has me breathing a little harder than normal. Where did Sugar say the champagne was? I could use a glass or three right about now.

"Hi, Brittany. This is my husband, Charles," Quinn introduces, and I shake the man's hand. "Looks like we are sitting next to each other," she says as Puck makes his way to us.

"Hey, guys, ready for the wedding festivities to start?" Puck says as he hands over a glass of champagne to me. Puck always saving the day.

"Thanks, Puck."

"Definitely. I know Santana has been a nervous wreck and it's not even her wedding," Quinn jokes. "But I can't wait to see everything they've put together. I know it's going to be magical."

"And I heard they're going to have an open bar!" Puck says with excitement. Normally, I would roll my eyes at his comment, but I am silently thankful about that little piece of information. "And, you know, who doesn't love a wedding, I mean it's like the best place to pick up chicks."

"Aren't you a little too old to be picking up chicks?" Quinn scoffs at him. I can't help but giggle. She obviously doesn't know Puck as well as I do.

"Don't be a prude, Fabray. Just because you found the man of your dreams and have a cute kid, doesn't mean the rest of us single folk can't enjoy a good night of fun," he teases her. "Right, Britt? I'll bet we'll both get lucky tomorrow night. I know Sugar has some hot single friends," he nudges me in the arm. This time I do roll my eyes at his antics.

The appetizers are delicious and after some time we take our seats. The setup is one long table with about 50 people gathered around it. Sugar and Austin are seated in the middle and what I assume is the bridal party to the left and right of them. The seat directly next to Sugar is empty, which must be Santana's spot. As the time goes on and she doesn't show up, my concern grows of where she could be but then out of the corner of my eye I see the most beautiful human I've ever seen walk through the doors. She makes her way directly to Sugar, looking a little flustered, but still perfect. Her hair is pulled into a loose bun that sits on her left shoulder, exposing the soft skin of her other shoulder. The dress is a deep red and hugs her body in the most perfect way, accentuating every flawless curve. She leans over and whispers something to Sugar, who just nods before she takes her place in the last empty seat.

We are served our first course, yes, there are many courses to be eaten tonight, before Austin and Sugar stand, lightly banging a knife against his glass to get the guest's attention.

"We just want to thank all our close friends and family for being here with us tonight and want to thank those especially who have traveled from far. We love and appreciate you all. This is such a special moment for both Sugar and I and we couldn't have done it without all your love and support. We wanted to make sure we had a night to be with those closest to us before the main event. And to Sugar, baby, I can't wait to marry you tomorrow. You have been my most favorite journey. Thank you for all you do, I love you, and can't wait to call you my wife!" He leans over and gives Sugar a soft kiss before raising his glass to everyone. "Cheers!"

"Well, I think Austin said it all, but I just want to thank everyone as well. It makes my heart so full to know we have so many people in our lives who love us and are able to be here to witness the most special day of our lives," she says as she looks around the room, stopping briefly on me, giving me a warm smile, which I return.

As the dinner goes on, I try everything in my power to not stare in Santana's direction. She seems to be doing everything in her power to avoid any eye contact with me, increasing my frustration, but then again, she could be completely unaware of what she's doing. She looks to be in a deep conversation with Austin when I remember it was Santana who introduced the two.

"What's up, B? You good?" Puck asks clearly noticing my change in mood.

"Yeah. Of course, have you tried the filet? It's amazing," I tell him with a fake smile.

"You sure?" He continues to push, and I brush him off as I grab my glass and take a large sip.

"Think I'm just tired. It's been a week, but I don't think my body has adjusted to the time difference yet," I lie.

He gives me a skeptical look but doesn't probe further.

I give up on any chance of getting Santana's attention tonight, even a small smile or any sort of acknowledgment from the brunette would settle me, but instead I turn my attention to Quinn and, Chuck, was it? I've never been good with names, and it doesn't matter because they do a great job of distracting me. I excuse myself to the restroom, needing some fresh air for a moment. I walk over to the sink and wash my hands hoping the coolness of the water will calm me when the door opens.

"Britt! Holy shit, seriously? Twice in one week? What are the odds?" I hear Sofia's voice ring through the bathroom. And she's right, what are the odds of us running into each other, in New York City, twice? This shit would _only_ happen to me, or in the movies.

"No kidding. What the hell are you doing here?" I ask her still a little stunned to see her standing in front of me.

"My parents had a business meeting and they wanted me to tag along, so I did. I didn't see you in the restaurant though," she says.

"It's Sugar's rehearsal dinner. We're in the private room," I tell her.

"Oh, that's right! You look hot as fuck, by the way," she compliments me with a fiery look in her eyes I know all too well and normally that sort of flattery, mixed with the few glasses of champagne I've had, would spur me on and in any other scenario, disregarding the 5 star restaurant we are in, I would probably drag her into the nearest stall. But, I resist and take the compliment, settling on just a 'Thank you'.

"I should get back out there," I tell her as I try and move past her when the door swings open again, this time revealing Santana. _Shit, just my luck._

"Oh, sorry, um," she fumbles. That's when I notice the distance between me and Sofia, or lack thereof, and that's when it hits me. She must think she's walked into something between us and boy is she wrong.

"No, it's fine!" I blurt out taking a big step back.

"Santana, right?" Sofia breaks the tension.

"Yeah, Sofia? We met the other night," Santana says recovering quickly.

"Crazy to run into you both, again," Sofia smirks. "Anyways, nice to see you again, Santana. And you too, Britt. If you get done here early, give me a call. We can have a drink at my parent's place," she says suggestively before walking out of the bathroom.

And Santana and I are left alone, in the bathroom, awkward as hell, neither one making a move.

"Hey, nice dinner, huh?" _Smooth, Britt, real smooth,_ I think to myself and want to hit my head against the nearest wall.

"Uh, yeah. You look," she starts as she drags her eyes up and down my body and I see her swallow thickly. "You look really good, Britt. How has your week been?"

"Thanks. You look great too, San. Um, it's been good." I see her nod and know she is uncomfortable. "Well, I'll let you get to it," I say as I point to a stall and make my way out of the bathroom. The one place I went to get a breather ironically ended up becoming more suffocating. The rest of dinner is spent the same way, small conversations with Quinn and Puck, which I only half listen to, and complete avoidance on Santana's end. I'm actually thankful when it's over, and everyone starts heading home. I give Sugar and Austin a hug and tell her that I'd see her back at home. I get a text from Sofia, asking me if I wanted to take her up on her offer from earlier. I respond letting her know that I have an early day tomorrow and that I should get some sleep. I know exactly what she intends for tonight and for once, I don't find the need to sleep with her. I love her, she's become a really good friend, but it just doesn't feel right, not to her, not to me, not to Santana. So, I head home and crash, after wiping away the nights make-up and crawling into bed.

My alarm wakes me up earlier than I'd like, but it's my best friend's wedding! I pop out of bed and see Sugar walking around in her 'bride-to-be' robe.

"Morning!" I exclaim.

"Oh my god, Britt, I'm getting married. Today. Me. Married. Holy shit, I'm freaking out," she starts to ramble in a panic.

"Hey, hey. Breathe. You're ready. You love him, and he loves you. Anyone who knows you two can see it," I try and reassure her, and it seems to work.

"Yeah, you're right. You going to be okay by yourself? I'm headed to the hotel soon for hair and make-up and pictures."

"I know, I remember. I'm good," I tell her.

"Okay. I'll see you at church! I have a driver coming to pick you up at 1," she reminds me, and I thank her, for everything she's done for me.

"See you when you're officially Mrs. Sugar Ricci," I give her a huge hug and wish her luck and send her on her way.

After I've had my mandatory cup of coffee I start to get ready. Time flies as I lock up and hop in the car waiting for me outside. I get to the church a little before 2, which is when the ceremony starts. I spot Puck as soon I walk in and make my way down the aisle and take a seat next to him.

"Hey, Britt. You look smokin'," he says.

"Thanks. You clean up well," I compliment him. He really does look handsome in his suit.

The church continues to fill up as we all wait for the ceremony to start. The church is decorated beautifully, fresh flowers lined around the pews and white linen stretched down the aisle. It looks straight out of a fairy tale. The organ starts to play as the priest, groom, and groomsmen make their way to the altar, indicating the start of the ceremony. The first to walk down is Austin's niece, dressed in the cutest white dress with a flower crown nestled on her perfectly curled hair as she dresses the floor with flower petals. She smiles all the way down, even stopping mid-way to have her picture taken, seriously the cutest thing I've ever seen. Next are the bridesmaids each dressed in a soft coral toned off the shoulder dress. They all look beautiful. And then, it's Santana, and everything in my world at that moment stops. It's as if my mind goes into camera mode and subtle pictures of her every movement are being taken and stored into memory, a memory I hope to never forget. She is dressed in a floor-length gown, similar to that of the bridesmaids, her hair pinned to the side so that her flawless smooth curled hair falls effortlessly against her shoulder. Her makeup is natural looking, only enhancing the natural beauty that she is, as she floats down the aisle, like an angel coming towards me. I can't take my eyes off her as I stand in anticipation the closer she gets since Puck decided to sit in one of the first few rows. She is smiling a soft smile, aware of the cameras on her, keeping her gaze straight ahead toward her destination, never wavering, that is until Puck and I are in her view and that's when she turns her head, ever so slightly and stares deep into my eyes. I can't snap out of my Santana daze, and I think she sees me staring, and I probably look like one of those cartoons with their eyes popping out of their heads, or jaw flat against the floor. I think I see her blush, but I can't be sure and then it's over and she takes her place at the altar next to the others.

The parents follow and then the music changes and I look down the aisle to see Sugar for the first time in her wedding gown. The doors open and there she is, looking like a princess. Her gown is out of this world gorgeous and she has the biggest smile I've ever seen plastered on her face. Her eyes are glued to Austin at the end of the aisle and you can just see the love flowing between the two.

As the ceremony starts, and as much as I love watching Sugar getting married, my eyes keep averting toward Santana. I can't get over how absolutely stunning she looks up there. For a second, I get lost in thought, thinking about Santana and me in another lifetime, her in a wedding dress, saying her vows to me, and me to her. Wait, did I just think about a non-existent wedding to someone who I'm not even with? _Get it together, Britt._

"Austin, the minute you walked into my life, my entire world flipped upside down. I vow to love you as you love me, through all the hardship, darkness, and pain to reach for our joys, our hopes, and always with honesty, faith, and pure love."

"Sugar, I love the spark that is inside you, your eternal glowing spirit, and I am so glad to be able to see that every day for the rest of our lives. I promise you my unconditional love, and undying devotion, to not ask you to be more than you are, and to love you for you."

As I listen to their vows, the profession of their undying love and commitment to each other, something deep in my heart yearns, craves for that kind of relationship. A lifelong promise to your best friend, to love and hold, in good times and bad. As Austin finishes his vows, Santana discreetly wipes away a tear that has fallen. A simple action that warms my entire being.

"Do you Austin, take Sugar as your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, to be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"And do you Sugar, take Austin as your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, to be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"Austin, repeat after me; with this ring, I thee wed, as a symbol of my love and commitment to you."

"With this ring, I thee wed, as a symbol of my love and commitment to you," Austin repeats as he slips the ring on Sugars finger.

"Sugar, repeat after me; with this ring, I thee wed, as a symbol of my love and commitment to you."

"With this ring, I thee wed, as a symbol of my love and commitment to you," she says as she slips the band on his finger.

"In the presence of family and friends you have expressed your love for one another. By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

The organ starts to play again as Austin leans over and for the first time they share a kiss as man and wife. They walk hand in hand down the aisle as everyone cheers. We make our way out of the church to head the hotel where the reception is being held. The bridal party shuffles into the limo that's waiting for them outside as the bride and groom get into a classic Bentley. Puck asks me to ride with him to the reception, as we hail a cab and head out as well.

I walk arm in arm with Puck into the receptions cocktail hour. Servers are walking around, dressed up in bow-ties, passing out hors-d'oeuvres, one more delicious than the next. Puck makes his way to one of the many bars set up around the room and brings us each a glass of whiskey on the rocks.

"Sugar looked incredible," he comments.

"Yeah, she really did. I'm so happy for her," I mention as we mingle with the guests. We congratulate Sugar's parents as well, always being so close to them growing up, spending some time to catch up.

Once the double doors to the reception hall are opened, Puck and I find our table and take a seat, joined by Quinn and her husband and a few of Sugar and Austin close friends. We all introduce ourselves and start to chat getting to know each other when the MC goes on the microphone to introduce, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Ricci. The doors fly open and in come the bridal party, dancing their way onto the dancefloor, as the guests clap to the beat of the music. Following the bridal party are the best man, Timmy, Austin's childhood friend, and Santana. My eyes stay glued onto the stunning brunette as she moves flawlessly to the beat, giggling at a slick move Timmy does. I'm happy that our table is placed so close to the main table, giving me a clear view of the dancefloor, and, ironically situated right next to one of the bars; thank you Sugar.

I'm so distracted, that I almost miss Sugar and Austin walking in, but the clapping and whistling of the guests snap me out of the Santana spell I'm under, and I see my best friend, walking in with her husband, looking happier than I have ever seen. Puck and I join in on the cheering and once the MC invites guests to join them on the dancefloor, we are the first ones out there, scooping Sugar in a huge bear hug. Once everyone is seated, the food starts to arrive, every dish beyond delicious. Once the food is done and out of the way, the party starts. Lights are dimmed, music is played louder, and of course, Puck drags me toward the bar, on the other side, mind you, since, and I quote, 'The hot bartender was staring at me,' according to Puck.

"Hey! Two shots for me and my friend," he says, and I roll my eyes, subtly establishing to the cute bartender that I am a friend and nothing more. Some things never change, but who am I to interfere with his flirting ways? He continues to flirt when I glance around the hall, trying to spot Santana, which is difficult considering there must be at least 400 guests at this wedding.

Since Puck is doing his thing, I figure why not have another shot before taking on the dance floor? I get the attention of the other bartender since the blonde is clearly distracted, and order another round, might as well take two at once so I don't have to come back, not bad logic, right?

"Scotch and a vodka tonic, please," says a voice next to me. "Oh, hey, Britt," Quinn says.

"Hey, want a shot?" I ask her, assuming the vodka tonic is hers.

"Sure," she says. "Although, I'm swearing off all alcohol after this." She laughs. "Let me take this back to the table and then we should dance," she suggests, referring to the drink she ordered for her husband.

I follow her to the table, leaving Puck behind, not that he would notice, and then we start pushing through the crowd on the dance floor to get to the middle where Sugar is.

"Are you guys having a good time?" She asks as we start dancing next to her.

"Of course, everything looks amazing, Sugar! How are you? Can I get you anything?"

"Come to my table! We have a bottle, we need to take a shot! I'm married!" She shouts.

This wedding is turning into a drinking marathon! I know I should slow down but I can't refuse the bride. She pours us each a drink and we down it before we're back on the dance floor. I don't know how much time passes, everyone is having an amazing time, but my feet are starting to hurt and with all the people dancing around me, I can feel a thin layer of sweat dripping down my back.

"I'm gonna use the restroom!" I yell over the music to Sugar, who is in complete marital bliss, I don't think she even hears me.

Once I'm away from the crowd, it's like the alcohol all hits me. It's like that feeling when you are at a club, drinking, dancing, loud music blaring in your ears, and when you finally step away into silence for a moment, all of a sudden you feel drunk and your ears won't stop ringing. Yeah, that's the feeling. As I am leaving the hall to find the bathroom, I see Santana leaning against the bar with a girl I don't recognize standing close, too close, if you ask me and since any sense of self-control I would normally I have seems to have left me, I march toward her, jealousy bubbling deep within.

"Hey, babe, I've been looking for you," I say immediately wrapping my arm around Santana and giving her a kiss on the cheek before turning to look at the girl in front of her. "Brittany," I say with my other hand extended out. "Santana's girlfriend. And you are?"

"Um, sorry, I didn't know you were here with someone," she mumbles and before Santana has a chance to apologize or tell the girl otherwise, she is gone. _That's right, leave._

"What the hell was that?" Uh-oh, scary Santana. I don't think I've ever seen this side of her and come to think of it, I don't think I ever want to again. Seriously, scary. Her brows are furrowed and I swear I can almost see steam coming out of her ears or maybe I'm just imagining things. _Damn alcohol!_

I shrug, "What?" I say innocently, trying to put on my best pout so she softens a little.

"Don't play dumb, Britt. What's your problem?" She yells and walks away toward the double doors and out of the hall. It takes me a second to kick my brain into gear and follow behind her.

She makes it far down the hall, away from everyone before I catch up and lightly grab her arm, so she stops moving, because, fuck, even in heels this girl is fast!

"What?" She turns looking even more upset than she just did inside at the bar.

"I love you," I stupidly blurt out. _Good going, Pierce._

"That's not funny, Brittany," I wince at her tone. Okay, not the reaction I was hoping for, especially because I just seem to be making her angrier by the second.

I take a step toward her and although I feel her body tense, she doesn't move away. I lean down and when I'm only inches away from her lips, I hear her breath hitch and know she wants this too, and I connect our lips. The second they touch it's like everything in my being comes alive as if something that has been asleep inside of me all these years has been awoken. Those fireworks that people talk about? Yeah, they're real, very real. I see it all and as I tilt my head to deepen the kiss her lips are gone, and the emptiness comes crashing down on me once again.

"What the fuck, Britt? First, you say you love me and then you kiss me? Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you?" Wait, she totally kissed me back, why is she so angry?

"Santana, I love-"

"No, don't say it. Just stop," she says as she tries to put more distance between us, but I don't budge.

"Why? What are you so afraid of?" I ask her, but she stays quiet. "Huh? What are you so afraid of? Because I know you feel it too, you know just as much as I do that this thing between us, is real, you knew it then and you know it now, so what are you so-"

"I can't fall in love with you," she screams as a tear falls down her cheek. "Again. Seven years ago, you left, and I let you. I was in love with you, Brittany, but I wasn't going to be the one to take you away from your dreams. It took me months to move on, to get you out of my head, to convince myself that the decision I made that morning, leaving you there in that hotel without ever telling you how I felt, was the right thing to do. And what? You think you are just going to waltz back into my life? Tell me you love me? And then what? We'd live happily ever after? You are always traveling, hell, you have a new show that starts the day after the New Year. Where does that leave me? Alone and heartbroken, because I fell in love with you, again, and you are leaving, again," she finishes as more tears stream down her face.

"But, Santana, I'm in love with you, too," I tell her desperately. "We can figure out a way-" she cuts me off again.

"No, we can't. You see those two inside? That's a partnership. Both people present, starting a life together. I want that. I want marriage, kids, a partner who will be there at the end of a long and shitty day, not someone traveling more months out of the year than they are home," she cries. "Please, if you love me, let me go." She doesn't let me say another word before she walks away. And just like that my whole world, the one I didn't even know was slowly being built on my love for this girl, came crashing down. I feel my chest tighten, trying to take in big gasps of air, but it doesn't work. I look at the time, it's 10 pm, I can't go back in there, no, I need to leave. I run out the door, trying to disappear from this place as fast as I can. I get in a cab, make my way up to Sugar's, open the door with the spare I still had, and go straight to my room, grabbing my luggage and throwing everything I can into it as fast as possible, tears running down my face, never stopping. I hop on the computer and find the next flight out of New York before booking it and glancing around one last time, leaving a note for Sugar. I grab everything I have and make my way downstairs, a straight shot to JFK Airport. The feeling in my chest just worsens and it feels like I'm having a heart attack. I'm trying everything I can to calm down, but this pain, this feeling of loss, is like anything I've ever felt. I lock myself in a bathroom stall and break down, right there in the airport bathroom, as I hide out waiting to board my flight.

 _Now boarding Flight 1376 to Columbus, Ohio._

I'm going home.


	16. Leap of Faith

**Chapter 16: Leap of Faith**

The thing about a small town is, well, nothing ever changes. Like, I mean nothing. The tire shop around the corner? The one grocery store where literally everyone shops at? Yup, all still there, all still the same owners, everyone still up in everyone's business. And I'm not complaining, there are good things that come from growing up in a small town, but when you want to be invisible it's not the best place to be. But it's home, and after what happened at Sugar's wedding, home is exactly what I need. My dad is shocked but so ecstatic to see me when I knock on the door unannounced. His wife, Debbie, is just as shocked, but I can't blame the woman. I've never met her and haven't made any effort to meet her or even get to know her, and here I am, showing up to their house, granted, it's still my house as well, without any notice in the middle of the night. I think my dad knows something is off with me because he doesn't question my sudden appearance. He invites me in, lets me know my room is still the way I left it, and that he would see me in the morning.

The first few days I hardly leave my room, only to use the restroom and maybe force some food down, my appetite not exactly the best. My dad, being the sweetheart that he is, gives me my space and it helps that they spend most of the day at work, leaving me to bask in self-pity. My phone goes nuts with calls and texts from Sugar and Puck too.

 _Hey Britt. It's me again. I haven't heard from you and you just disappeared. I'm worried about you. Call me. Okay, love you. - Sugar_

 _Britt! What the fuck! You just disappeared! Call Sugar, by the way, she's kinda freaking out. -Puck_

I choose to ignore the first few but send a vague text to both, letting them know that I'm okay and at my house to spend Christmas with my dad. That seems to ease their concerns, but I can tell that Sugar wanted more, more information on my abrupt exit, but I wasn't ready to talk about that yet. I do manage to get myself out of the house a couple of times later during the week, once to grab a cup of coffee and the other to walk around my childhood neighborhood. I hope that the fresh air would help heal this feeling in my heart, this sadness that I've never experienced in all my life. But it doesn't.

 _Knock, Knock_

"Yeah?"

The door to my room opens. "Hey, honey, how are you feeling?" My dad asks. I know he's being cautious since he still doesn't know what's really going on with me. He sits at the corner of my bed as I sit up against the headboard.

"I'm okay, dad," I tell him. I don't want to be rude and it's not his fault that I'm so down.

"Well, Debbie wanted me to let you know that dinner should be ready in 15 minutes if you want to join us," he says hesitantly. He's very aware of my feelings toward Debbie. I've never expressed it directly to him, and he knew that I couldn't make it to the wedding because of work, but regardless, he's my dad and knows me better than anyone.

"Sure, Dad. I'll be down in a minute," I tell him with a smile which he warmly returns. I lean over and give him a hug, needing that warmth of a father to surround me. "I love you, dad."

"I love you too, kiddo," he says before pulling away to give me a kiss on my forehead. "I'm really proud of you, Britt. I know we haven't spent a lot of time together in recent years, but just know I'm your biggest fan. And whatever it is that you're dealing with right now, I know it'll be okay. You'll get through it. You always do," he says before walking out of my room.

I wash my face and put on decent clothing, considering I've spent the better part of this week in sweats, and make my way down to dinner. I know Debbie lost her husband years ago, similar to my dad, and I can understand that kind of loss, so the least I can do, for my dad's sake, is try and make an effort with her. I'm sure she's a wonderful lady, my dad _did_ marry her after all.

"Dinner smells wonderful, Debbie," I tell her genuinely. I haven't spoken to her much since I've been here, just a formal good morning, or hello in passing. In my defense, I haven't done much talking at all, so it isn't targeted at her directly.

"Thank you, Brittany."

We all take a seat at the dinner table as we fill our plates with food. It's quiet in the beginning and I figure I'll be the one who needs to break the ice.

"How's work, Dad?"

"It's good. Been busy lately, but I plan on taking some time off after the New Year. We're thinking about going on vacation."

"That sounds nice. Let me know if you want any suggestions for cool places to visit," I tell him. I take a bite of garlic bread and take a sip of water, trying to think of ways to move past this odd silence.

"My dad tells me you have a son?" I direct my question to Debbie.

She sets her fork down before answering, "I do. He's around your age. He lives in California," she says.

"That's cool. Is that where you're from?"

"No, he moved out there for college. He went to Berkeley for his undergrad and then went to Law School in the Bay Area. I guess the kid liked it and stayed. It didn't hurt that he met his wife freshmen year of college. They've been together ever since," I hear the love in her voice as she continues to talk about her son.

"That's amazing. I look forward to meeting him soon," I say, and my dad's head shoots up out of shock at the words coming out of my mouth.

"Ye-yeah. That sounds lovely." I smile and continue to eat the food on my plate.

"It's delicious. Thank you for dinner," I tell her as I clear our plates and take my seat at the table.

"So, Britt. How's the show going?"

"We just wrapped our new season, it should be airing sometime in the spring. Josh actually pitched a new show to me before I left for New York. He wants me to host the show," I say nonchalantly.

"Brittany! That's incredible. When do you start filming?" He says with excitement.

"Right after the New Year."

"What an opportunity, Britt. I can't believe it!"

"Thanks, Dad."

After dinner, we spend some time together in the living room catching up and I get to know more about Debbie before calling it a night. The happiness on my dad's face was worth the effort, and she really is a nice lady. I'm happy for him.

When I wake up the next morning, for the first time I don't feel like pulling the covers over my head to lie in complete darkness wallowing in my own depression. No, instead I get up, shower, put on fresh clothes and walk out the door. My dad never sold the car I had when I was living at home, so I start the engine and make my way down the familiar streets, the same streets where I learned how to drive. Like muscle memory, I end up at the place I drove to every morning, McKinley High School. I park in the empty parking lot, since it's winter break, and walk toward the hallway entrance, hoping it is unlocked, pleased to see that it is. The memories that flash through my mind as I walk down the halls are intense. The smell is even the same. I find my senior year locker and look across from it noting Sugar's locker as well. We always got lucky having lockers close to each other. High school was such a simple time, yet back then, it felt like so much more. If only I knew back then how much more complicated life would be as an adult. I walk further down when I see the door to the auditorium slightly cracked open. I hear music playing so naturally, my curiosity gets the best of me and I peak my head in. I look toward the stage but can't make out who it is, when memories of the first time I remember seeing Santana perform on this very stage comes flooding back to me. We didn't know each other well, but I knew of her. Puck would have made fun of me back then if he knew I had sat in on a Glee performance, but I don't care. It was during 5th period and I was beyond bored in class, so I asked to use the restroom, figuring I can kill some time and wander around. They must have been practicing for some competition coming up when I peaked in. Her voice filled my ears and captivated me, making it hard to look away. She was incredible.

On stage now, is Mr. Schuester. He looks the same even after all this time; I can see the vest on his body, the ones he was so fond of back then and his curls on his head fuller than ever as I get closer and closer to the stage. I don't want to disturb his performance but at the same time, I'm drawn to it. I was never in Glee Club or anything like that, but I did have him as a Spanish teacher, so I knew him well.

"Hello?" He says once he realizes he's not alone. He must not be able to see out into the audience with the lights shining down on him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. I don't know if you remember me. I was in your Spanish class, graduated in 2012," I tell him as he steps off the stage and makes his way toward the first row where I'm standing.

"Brittany? Brittany Pierce, is that you?" He asks as he recognizes me and comes to greet me.

"Yup!"

"Wow, you haven't changed a bit! What are you doing here? Last we heard, you were traveling the world, working on a huge show!" He says as he pulls me in for a hug.

"Yeah, something like that," I say. I'm not the type to brag, even though my job is cool and is something I've always dreamed of, I try to play it off as just an ordinary job.

"So modest. So, you here visiting family for the holidays?"

"Yeah. It's been a while since I've been around for Christmas. I forgot how much I miss Lima," I tell him. "Well, I don't want to keep you. You sound great, by the way. It was really good to see you, Mr. Schue."

"You too, Brittany. Merry Christmas."

I walk out of the auditorium and make my way back to my car, and drive to the diner around the corner where Sugar, Puck and I spent a lot of time at. I grab a table and order a sandwich and a cup of coffee. I figure since I'm out of the house, and Christmas is a week away, I should take this opportunity and do some shopping for my dad and his wife. I didn't plan too far ahead about my plans after the wedding. The house is already decorated, and I did spot a few gifts under the tree with my name on it.

The mall is insane, but I push through and find a few things I think my dad would like. Shopping for Debbie is more of a challenge, considering I've only had like one real conversation with her, but I think I find something she would appreciate and have the clerk gift wrap it before making my way back to my car.

Christmas was one of my mom's favorite holidays. When I was young, she would help me bake cookies especially for Santa and make sure that he had all his favorites waiting for him by the tree, with a tall glass of milk to go with it. I was one of those kids that always tried to stay up and wait for him, and my mom knowing I wouldn't be able to stay up, would appease me and let me fall asleep on the couch. But every Christmas morning, I would wake up in my bed and as always, the cookies would be picked apart and glass emptied. She would leave 'snowy' footprints from the chimney to the tree where all the gifts that weren't there the night before were now piled high. It was magical and even after I was old enough to know that Santa was not real, we continued with our traditions, baking cookies and even leaving the same footprints. 'It adds to the magic of Christmas, right Britt?' she said to me one year when I was in my not so pleasant pre-teen years and being rebellious. And she was right, it did add to the magic. After she passed away, my dad tried to keep with traditions and he would help me bake the cookies but things didn't feel whole without her. Since I haven't been home for Christmas since graduating from college, I'm not sure what my dad does to prepare for the holidays. Maybe it's time to bring magic back into this house, my mom's magic.

The morning of Christmas Eve, I ask my dad if they would want to go out for breakfast, my treat and they are quick to agree, as we decide on the diner near our house.

"Britt, I was thinking, if you want to, we can bake cookies tonight. You know, like you and your mom would do," he says hesitantly and I understand why. He's always been wary to talk about my mom with me, I'm not sure if he thinks I can't handle it or if it's because he thinks he can't handle it. But regardless, he does ask and the kid in me is beyond thankful at his suggestion.

"Yes! I was thinking about that the other day but wasn't sure how you would feel about it," I say honestly.

Again, it's not something my dad and I talk about, we've never been really good at talking to each other, especially about emotional things. That was my mom. I always wondered how my mom and dad got along and we would laugh about how he was a man of few words, but I knew my mom always brought out the best in my dad.

"We haven't done much the last few years, especially those that we were out of town for the holidays, but I think since you're home it would be nice," he says. "Debbie is exceptional in the kitchen if you would like her help." And Debbie nods, not wanting to overstep.

"I'd really like that." Yeah. She's grown on me.

"Do we need anything from the store? We should drop in after breakfast before the stores get crazy with last minute shoppers." I can hear the excitement in his voice.

After breakfast, where we all ate a little too much and had way too many cups of coffee, we make our way to the grocery store to buy everything we would need for the cookies and even decide to grab some items to make for Christmas morning. We plan on having a simple dinner in tonight since it's only the three of us before we start on baking.

"Okay, Brittany, you're in charge. What can I do?" Debbie asks and I really appreciate the fact that she acknowledges this was my mom's thing and she just wants to help.

"Let's start with the base so we can add in the different toppings. We'll do the chocolate chip and the white chocolate chips. Those are my dad's favorite, right dad?" I ask my dad who is settled at the kitchen island watching us at work.

"Right! I always thought deep down your mom would make sure you would put more white chocolate ones on the plate so she can watch me try and eat 6 cookies at night while you were asleep," he laughs as he recounts that memory.

"Mom was sneaky," I shrug jokingly.

"Okay, the first batch is in the oven. What else would you guys do?"

"Well, once I got older, after cookies, we would make hot chocolate, extra marshmallows for dad, and we would settle on the couch and watch A Christmas Story while the cookies baked," I told her.

"Honey, do you still have a copy of the movie?" She asks my dad.

"Definitely. Britt, you're on hot chocolate duty," he instructs as he moves out of the kitchen toward the TV to set everything up.

The fireplace is on as I make my way into the living room with two mugs in my hand. I go back into the kitchen to check on the cookies before grabbing my mug and finding my spot on the couch. Debbie gets up to put in the second tray as we continue to watch the movie and enjoy our hot chocolate. At almost 30 years old, I've never felt so content in my life, with such simple joys surrounding me. It's the most content I've felt in a very long time and I discreetly glance to my left where my dad and Debbie are situated on the other couch and see the same content smile plastered on my dad's face. It makes me miss my mom, I know she is watching over us and happy for the life I've created and I think even deep down, I believe that she is happy for my dad who has found someone to live the rest of his life with.

When the credits roll, we each sneak a cookie before setting them on the same plate my mom used for years and place them on the table next to a glass of milk and head to bed. I wake up the next morning feeling happy, a feeling I haven't had since the night of Sugar's wedding. It's not like anything has changed, I miss Santana more than anything, but today I do feel happy, waking up in the house I grew up in, thankful I get to spend the holidays with my family. I check my phone, as I do every morning, with the same hope that I would get a text or phone call from the brunette, but like every morning I am met with disappointment. I sigh and decide, regardless if she ignores me, to send a text to her.

 _Merry Christmas, San. – Britt_

I set the phone back on the table, not holding my breath for a response, and make my way downstairs. I can already smell the aroma of fresh coffee filling the house.

"I see the cookies are still on the plate," I tease my dad as I make my way into the kitchen.

"I can't eat that many cookies anymore, Britt. I'm getting old," he jokes as he hands me a mug.

"Ready for gifts?" I ask them and they both nod. After exchanging gifts, pleased that Debbie appreciated the coat and matching scarf I picked out for her, we make some breakfast.

"French toast is delicious!" I praise her.

"Thank you. It's my son's favorite, so I've had a lot of time to perfect it. I swear there were a good two months where he refused to eat anything else."

"Sounds like someone I know," my dad winks toward me.

"What? Mac and cheese is like the best meal, ever!" I defend myself, clearly remembering my obsession.

"What else would you guys do with your mom during Christmas?" Debbie asks me.

"We would just sit around and watch movies all day. But how about you? I'm sure you have some traditions with your son," I turn the question on her instead, wanting to include her more. I appreciate everything she has done for me the past few days, but I want her to know that I value her and her traditions as well.

She blushes at the question, "Well, we would take a walk as a family around the neighborhood and then come back home and watch The Grinch and I would make my famous apple cider," she says shyly.

"I think that sounds like a wonderful way to spend our day, what do you say, Dad?"

"I say you're right," he says as he grabs his wife's hand to comfort her and mouths a 'thank you' to me. I nod, knowing that he is so grateful for me at this moment.

And that's exactly how we spend the day, and Debbie wasn't lying about her apple cider, I think it's the best thing I've tasted in my entire life!

/

" _Brittany!" My mom says as she opens the door enveloping me in a hug. "I miss you, sweetie. How are you guys doing?"_

" _I miss you too, Mom. Merry Christmas! We're good, where's Dad? We need help grabbing the gifts from the car," I tell her as I set the bags that were in my hand down by the entryway._

" _Honey! They're here! Can you give them a hand?" My mom shouts toward the living room where my dad appears from._

 _"Britt! Miss you, kiddo," he greets me and makes his way out of the house to help._

" _Merry Christmas, Mrs. Pierce," a sultry voice says behind me._

" _How many times have I told you to call me Susan, dear," she says before pulling the woman into her arms. "And how is my handsome grandson doing?" My mom says before taking the kid into her arms, smothering him with kisses._

" _Mom, take it easy. You're going to suffocate the kid," I tell her as I make my way back into the house with yet more bags._

" _You need help, babe?" My wife asks me._

" _No, I'm good, San," I say before leaning over to place a quick peck on her lips. "Go hang out with my mom. My dad and I can handle it."_

" _I love you, Mrs. Lopez-Pierce," she says before making her way into the kitchen to join my mom and son._

 _I stay back for a second to watch them, god, how did I get so lucky?_

 _We grab the rest of the gifts before making our way back into the house._

 _I start walking toward the living room and try and speak but nothing comes out._

" _Mom?" I try desperately to say but she doesn't move. She can't hear me and she is moving further away from me._

" _Babe," I try again. "Santana! Mom!" What's going on? Why can't my family hear me?_

" _Santana! Mom!_

"San! Mom!" I gasp and shoot up. My eyes pop open and I can feel the sweat on my forehead as I pant and frantically look around. It takes a minute for me to realize where I am. I'm in my room at my parent's house. I bend over to my bedside table, desperately reaching for the water bottle I had set there the night before, and drink, trying to calm myself down. _It was just a dream, just a dream, Britt._ I try and convince myself as my hand clutches at my chest, feeling my heart beat at a rapid pace. I stumble into my bathroom and quickly splash my face with water as I stare at myself in the mirror. My face is pale when I splash it one last time before stripping myself and find a new shirt, one not covered in sweat. I grab my phone and see that it is a little after 10 am on New Year's Eve. I'm still flustered but at least my breathing has returned to normal. I don't close my eyes, in fear that the images of my dream will return and I don't think I can handle it. Well, I guess I'm up for the day. I rummage through my drawers and pull on some jeans. The plane ticket that I got in the mail a few days ago sits on the top of my dresser. I haven't sent in the signed forms to Josh yet, but he still sent me a ticket for Sweden that leaves New Year's Day. I push it aside before pulling my hair up and grabbing a jacket. My dad and Debbie must still be asleep because the house is quiet as I put my shoes on. I send a quick text to my dad that I stepped out for a bit before heading to my car. I make my way to the nearest floral shop and grab a bundle of lilies and make my way to the one place I need to be right now.

"Hi, Mom," I say as I set the lilies into the spot next to her tombstone. I haven't been back in a long time and just need to be close to her.

"I'm sorry I haven't been back to visit in a while. I think about you all the time. I'm sure you know all about my life, but I'm going to tell you anyways," I start as I take a seat on the grass.

"I'm the director for a hit show, it's so awesome, mom. It's like no other feeling, being in control behind the scenes. Actually, now the creator wants me for a new show, as the host. I know, crazy, right?" I giggle and take a deep breath. "Well, I technically haven't accepted but he presumptuously sent me a plane ticket already. It's set to leave tomorrow. I've been traveling a lot, I kind of have to for my job, but I've seen so many places! All the places me and you would look at in that one travel book dad bought me one year? Yeah, I've been to them all."

I take a moment and just stare at the picture of her. God, I miss her. I don't know how much times passes in silence before I speak again.

"I kind of met someone, but I screwed up. Actually, we went to school together. Crazy how the world works right? I mean, we barely spoke to each other in high school and then I go on this one crazy trip to Europe and the second we officially meet, it's like magnets, this instant connection. But I guess I was too blind to see it at first, we were young and I had dreams, dreams I didn't know how to accomplish with other people in my life. But I kind of ran into her again at Sugar's wedding. Can you believe it? Sugar is married! You would have loved seeing her in her wedding dress, Mom. Anyways, I kind of blurted that I loved her at the wedding, to Santana, not Sugar," I laugh at myself. "But she's right, it's probably not meant to be. I'm always travelling and she's in New York."

"I need you, Mom," I say and break down, crying in silence.

"Britt?" My dad's voice startles me as I try and wipe the tears off my face.

"Dad," I say. "How'd you know I was here?"

"Call it a father's intuition. Can I join you?" He says as he sets the flowers in his hands next to mine.

"Hi, honey. Have you seen the beautiful woman our daughter has become? You would be so proud," he speaks as he wraps his arm around me. "I didn't mean to interrupt you, Britt, but I couldn't help but overhear. Do you want to talk about it?"

I shake my head against his shoulder, where my head is tucked, safe in my dad's arms, safe from the world and all its heartache.

"Britt, let me tell you a story." That grabs my attention as I slowly raise my head off his shoulder.

"When I met your mom, we were young, just freshman in college. Your mom, she was a lot like you, you know? She loved photography, like you love film, and she had a camera attached to her hand 24/7. You know that camera she gave you? That was her first camera. Anyway, we hung out like all the time, she was a hard one to get, let me tell you, but eventually she let this dorky kid take her out on a date. She was offered to study abroad shortly after for an entire year. And just like that, the woman I had fallen in love with was leaving. Granted, it was temporary, but we were young, and a year is a lifetime when you are that age. Well, we broke up and she left. That year was torture but I did my best to move on but she eventually came back and even though it took me some time, we worked it out and got back together. We stayed together throughout the rest of college and the day of our graduation, she was offered a full-time job with a magazine. Only problem is, she would need to travel, a lot."

"Wait, Mom? Really? But she didn't go, did she?" I ask.

"She was all set to go, and she promised that we would find a way to make it work," he says with a hint of sadness.

"What happened?"

"The morning of her flight, I could tell she was nervous and anxious, but I tried everything I could to keep her calm, to reassure her that everything would be okay. Then she turned to me and said, 'Marry Me'."

"Mom proposed to you? How have I never heard this story?"

My dad laughs, "Because she knows that I like to tell the story of when I properly proposed to her three months later. But yeah, she proposed and you could imagine my shock. My girlfriend, who I was in love with was leaving and proposing. But what I wasn't seeing was that she was choosing me. She could've left and had this crazy life on the road, something I know she would've loved, but she said something to me that day that stuck with me forever, she said, 'Honey, no adventure is worth it if you are not by my side.' Are you happy, Britt?"

"That's a loaded question, Dad," I say and sigh.

"Maybe, but think. Are you truly happy?"

"I thought I was, but now I don't know. I have everything I've ever wanted. The job I've always dreamed of, the job I've worked my ass off for, for as long as I remember," I start. "But, lately, it's like something is missing, something bigger."

"And what do you think that is?" He eggs on.

"What you and mom had," I admit.

"You know, Britt, my greatest joy has been having you and your mom in my life. Everything I've accomplished has been that much better because I had your mom to share it with. I know you weren't a big fan of me getting married, but I know your mom would want me to have a companion. A life alone is just that, lonely. I miss your mom every single day, she was my best friend, the first person I would think about when something good happened and the first person I would want to run to when things were bad. She was my life and then she gave me you and our lives and our hearts learned a love we didn't think was possible. I love you, kiddo, but if there is someone out there that you think can give you everything you could want? I say she's worth fighting for," he says and kisses me on my forehead before standing up. "The one thing I've learned is that life's too short. I thought me and your mom would grow old together, see you get married, have grandkids running around. But she was taken from me too soon. But I cherish every day, every memory we were able to create and enjoy together. I'm going to head home, I'm sure Debbie is wondering where I am."

And I'm left alone again, with my thoughts. I close my eyes and try to imagine my perfect life, perfect is so hard to obtain, but I know I can accomplish my vision of perfection. And every version of my future, I see Santana in it, standing next to me, hand in hand, as we take on everything the world has to offer. I speed home and blast through the front door, frightening both my Dad and Debbie.

"Where's the fire, Britt?" My dad asks.

"I have to go," I blurt.

"Where?"

"New York. I'm gonna fight for her, Dad," I say as I stand to look at my dad.

"Proud of you, Britt," he says as he hugs me.

I frantically pack a bag and fly down the stairs. Debbie hands me a bag with some food she quickly prepared for me, knowing the drive to New York would be long, especially during the holidays. I thank them both for everything they've done, and give my dad an extra-long hug. I tell him I love him and that I'll be in touch soon.

I get in the car and grab my phone, dialing the one person I can talk to now.

"Come on, pick up! Pick up the fucking phone, Sugar!" I yell to no one in particular as the phone continues to ring.

"You finally decide to call me, huh?"

"Sugar! Thank god, you answered! I need your help," I spit out as I make my way down my neighborhood.

"What's up?"

"I'm in love with Santana," I blurt out.

"Duh, I knew that, I was just waiting for you to know that," she says, voice laced in sarcasm.

"Whatever, I know that now. I kind of messed stuff up but I want to make it up to her. And even if she turns me down, at least I'll know I tried."

"Get your girl, Britt. How can I help?"

"I need her address. I just left Lima."

"Sending it now. Good luck! She loves you too, you know," she states like it's obvious.

"I hope so, Sugar," I say before saying bye and hanging up.

I'm so grateful for Debbie, now more than ever, her packed sandwiches coming in clutch on this long drive. I only stop a couple of times to fill up my tank and grab a cup of coffee, although, with the amount of adrenaline pumping through my body, I doubt I actually need it. The whole drive I think about what to say, or if she'll even be home. It is New Year's Eve, after all, she probably has a fancy party to attend but I don't care. I'll wait, I'll sit outside her building in the freezing cold, waiting for her, because truth is, I would wait forever for her.

As I approach the city, the craziness hits. People are everywhere and the traffic is insane. I get frustrated as the time passes but I know I'm close, so close. I get to her building, according to the directions Sugar sent me, and know I won't be able to find parking easily. Frustration is getting the better of me and I end up leaving my car in a 'No Parking Zone'. Tow my car, for all I care. I get out and sprint a block until I am standing outside her building. I wait, hoping that because of the holidays, a lot of people will be going in and out of the building, so I can sneak right in. I know the doorman won't let me in, since Santana is definitely not expecting me right now. After five minutes, I see an elderly couple get out of the elevator and I slip right in, wishing them a Happy New Year before pressing the button for her floor. My palms are sweating and my heart is beating a mile a minute as I watch the numbers of each floor change, one by one, agonizingly slow. It dings, indicating that I've reached the 15th floor and I make my way down the hallways. I have Sugars text memorized, 'Third door on the left,'" This is it. I raise my fist to knock when I freeze. What do I say? I love you, please give me a chance? This could potentially be the biggest moment of my life, well, at least up until this point, so I take a second to gather myself and take a deep breath, exhaling slowly before repeating the actions one more time before I knock.

No answer. I wait, hoping that maybe she just didn't hear it, and knock again. But no answer. My shoulders drop in defeat. I knew this was a possibility. Actually, this was likely. Why would she be sitting at home on a night like tonight? I tell myself to knock one more time, but a voice stops me.

"Brittany?" I could recognize that voice anywhere, it's quickly become my favorite voice in the entire world. "Wha-," she clears her throat. "What are you doing here?" She says in complete shock frozen in her spot.

I take a moment to take in the woman standing in front of me. She is dressed up, but it's before midnight, so what is she doing back so early? "I needed to see you," I say simply. Not the best start but at least I got words out.

"Britt, I'm tired. I can't do this right now," she breathes in defeat and finally moves from her spot as she tries to push past me to unlock her door, fumbling with her keys.

"Santana, please," I beg and lightly grab her arm to stop her actions. She turns and she is so close to me. I can't resist anymore and before she can push me away, I bend just enough to catch her lips between mine. I feel her resist at first, her lips unmoving, but I don't disconnect as I wrap my arms around her waist to pull her body closer to mine. "I love you," I whisper against her lips as our kiss ends. She sighs and rests her forehead against mine.

"Britt, we talked about this, we-" she murmurs but I stop her.

"I went home, to Lima," I start to say, desperate for her to just hear me out. This catches her attention and she makes no attempt to interrupt me, so I continue. "I haven't been home in a long time. I even went back to McKinley. Nothing's changed by the way. But that's not important right now," I say as I slip my arms from her waist down her arms to take her hands in mine as I keep my gaze locked on her gorgeous brown eyes. "I love you, Santana. I'm in love with you. I think I knew it back in that hotel room in Paris, but something inside held me back. I was so afraid to admit that after such a short amount of time of being around you and getting to know you that I was falling in love with you. I was a scared girl. But I'm not scared anymore, Santana," I pause taking a deep breath but never taking my eyes off hers. I need her to hear me. "All those things you want? I want them too. I want a future with you, with a house, and kids and everything else. I want it all."

She continues to stare at me hanging on every word I say, and I can see the hardness of her eyes start to soften. "You know, I thought I had it all. I thought I had finally accomplished my dreams. But what I've realized, what the truth is, none of that means anything if we don't have someone to share it with. Success? Meaningless. The journey isn't fun anymore, San. I want my ultimate dream, the one I've been so scared to chase. I want to live this life, go through the good and the bad, with you by my side, hand in hand," I say with my whole heart as I continue to bare my soul to her.

She shakes her head, breaking our gaze, and I can see her walls starting to build back up. "But Britt, you just signed a new show. And who knows what other opportunities will come after this for you?"

"No," I counter.

"What do you mean, 'no'?" She asks as her eyes hesitantly meet mine again.

"I'm not going. I called Josh earlier."

"You, what?" She stutters in shock.

I shake my head before letting out a sigh, "Don't you get it, San? Having a successful show doesn't mean anything to me. None of that is important to me. I lived it, for years, and I saw success and I experienced life, but everything now seems like it's in black and white and I'm ready to see in color again. You bring brightness to my life, you understand me better than I understand myself sometimes. You let me be vulnerable. My job? It's just that, a job. I can do it anywhere. And where I want to be, is with you, wherever that may be," I tell her wholeheartedly. She doesn't respond immediately.

"You quit? For me? I can't let you do that, Britt!" I roll my eyes at her, she's always looking out for others but she is missing my entire point!

"But I didn't do it for you, well, not totally. I did it for me. Something was missing my life, San. You asked me if I was happy. And the truth is, I wasn't. I thought I had it all, but really I had nothing. I love you, and I plan on showing you just how much for a very long time, if you'll have me, for as long as you'll have me. Life is too short, San. I don't want to wake up one day alone, regretting never fighting for you, for us. We owe it to each other, to ourselves. Because we deserve this, San." We stand there in silence staring into each other eyes, the outside world escaping further away from us as we build a bubble around us as we've come so good at doing. But shouting from the apartment across from hers breaks us out of it.

10

9

8

"Britt, I…"

5

4

3

2

1

"Kiss me," she breathes and just like that, without hesitation, my lips are on hers. It's everything a kiss should be, it's all the words she's unable to say in this moment, as her lips fit perfectly in mine, her hand wrapping around my neck, our bodies so close. It's hard to not smile into this perfect kiss.

"Happy New Year, San," I whisper against her lips.

"I," she starts before taking a deep breath, her eyes looking between mine. "You're crazy, you know that?" She says shaking her head. "But, I love you, Britt. I am so in love with you," she finally says as a tear escapes her eyes. I give her a knowing smile before scooping her up into my arms as we both break down right there in the middle of her hall, as we hear the fireworks going off everywhere in the city.

I hug her, I hug her so tight and now that I have her, I plan on never letting her go. My phone rings as I set her down on her feet, keeping my arm wrapped around her, her arm around my waist and head nestled in my neck when I see who's calling.

I answer it and put it on speaker, "Hey, Sugar!"

"Did it work? Did you tell her?" She asks frantically through the phone.

Santana looks up at me and I am met with the most loving smile as she goes on her tiptoes to give me a soft kiss. I hum against her lips before pulling away, remembering Sugar is on the phone.

"Yeah. It worked."

"Hi, Sugar!"

"Oh my god! Santana? Finally! If you two would have just got your heads out of your ass's years ago, I swear!" We both giggle at Sugar's words but are unfazed as we continue to stare adoringly into each other's eyes.

"Happy New Year's, Sugar. Go make out with your husband or something. San and I have a lot of time to make up for," I shout through the phone before hanging up.

"Happy New Year, Britt," she says before softly cupping my cheeks and bringing my face closer to hers for a kiss. "I love you." I can't explain how long I've been wanting to hear those words. Longer than I even know.

"I love you too, San."

Yeah, this is where I'm meant to be. This is the adventure I'm meant to be living, with Santana by my side.

 **THE END! FOR THIS PART AT LEAST :P**

 **Thank you for reading! This was my first time writing creatively and I was nervous to see how it would turn out.**

 **I have a few chapters done for the sequel and will be posting as I go. Don't forget to follow so you don't miss it!**

 **I'm also working on a new story idea! It'll be loosely based on a show I've been obsessed with recently and thought it would be a cool base for our favorite couple!**


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